Neil Schofield, 35, was found collapsed from drink on the ground next to his son's pushchair in a car park in the rain by an alarmed member of the public who called the police
England: A callous father who got so drunk he abandoned his two-year-old son in a car park late at night has been jailed for six months.
Neil Schofield, 35, was found collapsed from drink on the ground next to his son's pushchair in a car park in the rain by an alarmed member of the public who called the police.
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By the time officers arrived there was no sign of Schofield but they found the child alone and in a cold and wet state. They waited an hour to see if the father would return.
In the meantime Schofield staggered home and - forgetting where he had left his son - 'screamed' at his partner demanding to know where their child was.
Schofield, from Weymouth, Dorset, then went in search of his son and turned up to the Wyke Smugglers pub at midnight "in a distressed state".
Police were called to find Schofield was 'extremely emotional and aggressive', and asked officers: "Have you found my son?"
Judge Jonathan Fuller said the dad's actions would "strike anyone with horror" as he sentenced him for child cruelty charges Dorchester Crown Court.
The court heard Schofield, of no fixed abode, had been drinking heavily after heading out at 11am with his son on August 19 last year for the Weymouth Carnival day.
Prosecutor Richard Tutt said: "The point that she (the paediatrcian) makes is that he was cold and wet when he was found and as a result of that was at risk of profound hypothermia and dehydration."
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