Father who left baby in car for eight hours while buying drugs and alcohol avoids jail

The court has heard that the father is now drug-free and tested regularly

Judge Berkeley imposed a two-year sentence, which she suspended in full for three years. She also directed that he continue to attend addiction treatment services. File photo

A father who left his nine-month-old child in a car for over eight hours has been handed a two-year suspended sentence.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that a 35-year-old man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his child, pleaded guilty to one count of child neglect at a location in the Dublin 15 area on October 21, 2023. He has two previous convictions, one of which was for a minor road traffic matter.