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Man cleared of baby drink neglect | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A man who drank a bottle of vodka before looking after his partner's newborn son has been cleared of cruelty to a child by wilful neglect. | |
Warren Thomas was found dead on the floor next to the sofa where Paul Henry Thomas had fallen asleep. | |
A jury at Swansea Crown Court heard Mr Thomas may have been up to five times over the legal limit for driving. | |
But the 30-year-old, who broke down in tears as he was cleared, denied he had been drunk. | |
Tests by a pathologist could not determine the cause of the one-month-old baby's death and he may have fallen victim to sudden infant death syndrome. | |
The court had heard how Warren's mother, Laura Owen, was forced to slap Mr Thomas to revive him after discovering the dead baby on the floor on 4 January this year. | |
Denials | |
Ms Owen and her other child moved into Mr Thomas's flat in the Fforestfach area of Swansea after Warren was born in December 2007. | Ms Owen and her other child moved into Mr Thomas's flat in the Fforestfach area of Swansea after Warren was born in December 2007. |
Giving evidence he repeatedly denied that he had been drinking while looking after the baby. | Giving evidence he repeatedly denied that he had been drinking while looking after the baby. |
He also insisted he was so used to consuming large amounts of alcohol that even if he had been drinking over the crucial period it would have had no effect. | He also insisted he was so used to consuming large amounts of alcohol that even if he had been drinking over the crucial period it would have had no effect. |
The court heard Mr Thomas had volunteered to feed Warren during the night to allow Ms Owen to catch up on sleep. | The court heard Mr Thomas had volunteered to feed Warren during the night to allow Ms Owen to catch up on sleep. |
She had awoken at 0300 GMT to find Mr Thomas bottle-feeding the baby and he had told her to return to bed. Four hours later the baby was dead. | She had awoken at 0300 GMT to find Mr Thomas bottle-feeding the baby and he had told her to return to bed. Four hours later the baby was dead. |
Mr Thomas told the jury he had drunk almost a full bottle of vodka between 1600 GMT and 2000 GMT on the evening in question. | Mr Thomas told the jury he had drunk almost a full bottle of vodka between 1600 GMT and 2000 GMT on the evening in question. |
He said he had previously been drinking two bottles of vodka a day and had started to cut down after Warren's birth. | He said he had previously been drinking two bottles of vodka a day and had started to cut down after Warren's birth. |
He denied drinking any alcohol after Ms Owen had gone to bed but claimed that even if he had it would not have made him drunk. | He denied drinking any alcohol after Ms Owen had gone to bed but claimed that even if he had it would not have made him drunk. |
He insisted that having consumed the vodka earlier in the evening he felt neither drunk nor sleepy as a result of alcohol. | He insisted that having consumed the vodka earlier in the evening he felt neither drunk nor sleepy as a result of alcohol. |
The prosecution claimed that while looking after Warren Mr Thomas had continued to drink. | |