A father who left his three-month-old son alone on a bus for 30 minutes before returning to try and look after him while he was high on drugs was sentenced today.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was placed on a community payback order for 12 months at Perth Sheriff Court and ordered to get drug treatment.
The court was told that the baby involved in the incident had been taken into the care of social workers since his father’s arrest.
The man was travelling on a Megabus between Dundee and Perth when he left the boy to go to the onboard toilet.
He then re-emerged from the toilet around 30 minutes later and tried to care for the child while he was clearly under the influence of controlled drugs.
Police were called to arrest him when the bus arrived at the park and ride at Broxden, Perth.
The man admitted wilfully neglecting his baby son on the bus on 27 May this year.
He admitted leaving the infant in a carry cot while he went to the toilet and returning 30 minutes later to look after the child while he was unfit to do so through drugs.
One eye-witness said: “It was disgraceful. This man was in charge of a child. A number of folk had a verbal go at him and the police were alerted.
“When the bus stopped in Perth a fair contingent of police were present to arrest him. Imagine doing what he did while with a bairn. Some passengers were so angry I thought he might get lynched.”
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said the man was still being allowed to have contact with the child but no longer had full-time care of his baby son.
Sheriff Fiona Tait said: “I am satisfied the child’s welfare is being safeguarded. The court takes a serious view of any case involving the welfare of children.”
Megabus declined to comment.
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