The man was sentenced at Swansea Magistrates' Court
A DISABLED child was left home alone while the Swansea man who was supposed to be looking after her went to visit a friend.
The 28-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, wept as he was jailed for 12 weeks for child neglect and abandonment of a female toddler.
Swansea Magistrates Court heard police had to force entry to the home at 7.50pm on July 26 after a neighbour reported banging from upstairs.
Officers found the slats had fallen out of the girl's cot but she was otherwise unhurt.
The man was arrested when he returned to the house at around 11pm. If police had not arrived the toddler would have been alone for at least three hours.
The child's mother was at work at the time, the court heard.
Prosecutor Lisa Hughes said: "At around 8pm a neighbour heard intermittent banging coming from upstairs. It sounded like someone hitting wood panels. He said his concerns grew as this went on for over an hour."
The man was also charged with possession of cannabis which police found after forcing entry to the house.
In mitigation, Rhys Davies urged magistrates to give his client a suspended sentence for his early guilty plea.
"He hasn't tried to limit his culpability he knows his actions fall far below what is expected of him," said Mr Davies.
"He put that child at risk and he accepts that.
"The child was found happy and smiling so there was no ill treatment or abuse of that nature. There was no harm caused and the child was in good health.
"He needs education not punishment."
Despite the pleas, magistrate Derek Evans sentenced the man to 12 weeks in prison, reduced from 18 for an early plea.
"We feel this offence is so serious that an immediate custodial sentence is the only sentence that can be imposed.
"The very young and vulnerable child was put at great risk by being abandoned for a number of hours."
He was also told to pay £115 in costs but was not punished for the cannabis.
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