Sheffield man admits charge of neglect at Lincoln Crown Court after walking at night with ‘hypothermic’ child

A man who was found walking across the Lincolnshire Fens at night with a "hypothermic" infant has admitted a charge of neglect.

Samuel Price, 40, was located by a police drone at 2am after he ran out of petrol in the village of Little Steeping, near Spilsby, and set out on foot with the young child.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Price, from Sheffield, was staying at a mobile home in the area and had gone for a drive with the child after drinking heavily.

Stuart Lody, prosecuting, said police were alerted and used a drone to locate Price after he ran out of petrol and set off walking across the Lincolnshire Fens.

When police located Price in a field the infant was wearing only a romper suit and his own adult jacket, the court heard.

Mr Lody said police made a note of the weather and recorded the night time temperature at just 7.5 degrees Celsius.

"It was damp, the air was wet and conditions were not suitable for most human beings, never mind a child," Mr Lody added.

The child was taken to hospital and found to be hypothermic with a reduced temperature.

"Thankfully a full recovery was made," Mr Lody told the court.

Price, of Greenland Way, Sheffield, admitted a charge of child neglect during the early hours of May 26 this year.

In mitigation the court was told Price had already spent 38 days in custody and he accepted that his behaviour on the day of the incident was "abominable".

Passing sentence Recorder Paul Mann KC told Price his neglect was aggravated by the fact he had been drinking.

Recorder Mann added Price would have probably faced a jail sentence if he had not pleaded guilty to the neglect.

The Recorder told Price: "You were found in a field. By that time the child was beginning to suffer from hypothermia."

"The child was wearing only a romper suit which was not suitable enough for the temperature of seven degrees," Recorder Mann said.

"Although to be fair to you, you had also wrapped the child in your own coat."

Price was sentenced to a 15 month community order. He must also complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and abstain from alcohol for 120 days.