Qld dad left baby alone in car while he shopped at Coles, Tannum Sands

A Queensland father who left his 13-month-old child alone in the car while he did afternoon shopping at Coles, has been sentenced.

A dad pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on October 14 to leaving a child under 12 unattended in a car while he shopped at Coles, Tannum Sands. Generic image.

A Central Queensland dad who left his 13-month-old baby alone in the car while he did afternoon shopping at Coles, said he “forgot” to take the child out of the vehicle.

The 30-year-old, who by law cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Monday to leaving a child under 12 unattended.

Police prosecutor Jennifer Leach said about 5.20pm on September 12, the man went to the Coles shopping centre at Tannum Sands with the baby and another child, aged eight.

“(He) has left the (baby) in the vehicle with the windows cracked and doors unlocked whilst he attended inside the shopping centre with his other child,” Ms Leach said.

“Witnesses observed the (baby) unattended in the vehicle and called Triple Zero.

“Queensland Ambulance Service and police were tasked to attend as the witness was unable to locate the parents of the victim child.”

Ms Leach said a witness removed the baby from the car.

“The (baby) was hot but not distressed,” Ms Leach said.

“The (dad) was in the shopping centre for approximately 20 minutes before staff have located him and he has returned to the vehicle.”

Gladstone Courthouse.

Ms Leach said the dad then left the shopping centre with both children.

“A short time later, police have attended the (dad’s) address and sighted the children.

“When police attended the (dad’s) address, (he) was under the influence of cannabis.”

Ms Leach said when police further spoke to the dad on September 20, he told them he “forgot to take the (baby) out of the car”, he had not done this before, and he would not do it again.

The court heard the man had no criminal history.

Solicitor Stephen White tendered a medical document and references to the court for his client, and those were read by Magistrate Mary Buchanan.

Mr White said the man was a father of four and he was employed full-time.

“His wife is here (in court) in support (of him), and his mother is also here in support - they are a very close-knit family,” Mr White said.

“I’m instructed that, at the time of the incident, he had in fact pulled into Coles to run in to grab something from the supermarket.

“It was an unplanned stop.

“Nonetheless... he’s extremely remorseful for leaving the 13-month-old child in the car.

“He did it and he wouldn’t do it again.”

The man told Magistrate Buchanan: “I didn’t do it on purpose, it wasn’t on purpose at all. My windows are always left a bit down... it was not done on purpose.”

During sentencing, Ms Buchanan said she found the offending was out of character for the man.

She fined him $750 and no conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Qld dad left baby alone in car while he shopped at Coles, Tannum Sands