Gran was drunk in street

Mar 8 2013 by Colin Rutherford, Kilmarnock Standard

A grandmother was found lying drunk in the street while looking after her eight-year-old granddaughter.

At Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Monday, the 51-year-old woman – who cannot be named for legal reasons – pleaded guilty to exposing the child to unnecessary suffering or injury to health by becoming so intoxicated that she was not fit to care for her.

The offence was committed in Kilmarnock in June last year.

Stewart McMillan, prosecuting, said that the woman was sober when the child’s father brought the girl to her house.

He said: “He requested of her that she did not drink while looking after the child.”

Later that morning, however, she did start drinking.

She then decided, said Mr McMillan, to go out and buy more drink.

“That took her to a nearby street,” he said.

“A passing health worker noted the accused and was concerned about her behaviour.”

When police arrived on the scene around 12.15pm, she was being treated by paramedics.

“She had fallen,” said Mr McMillan.

“They were also attending to the child who was distressed and crying.”

Alec Muir, defending, said that his client had not wanted her granddaughter to come to the shops with her.

She had hoped that her 14-year-old daughter would “keep an eye on” the girl.

“Unfortunately, the child seems to have come out,” said Mr Muir.

The woman fully accepted that she was intoxicated and had no hesitation in pleading guilty.

“She doesn’t seem to have come to the court’s attention for this sort of thing in the past,” said Mr Muir.

Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane deferred sentence until April 3 and called for a criminal justice social work report.

She said: “For somebody to be so intoxicated at quarter past 12, in charge of two children under 16, is quite alarming.”