Stephen Croxall forgot about a baby he was looking after for 19 hours

by Paul Hooper

A drunken man has been dubbed Britain's worst babysitter after abandoning a child and sparking a police hunt.

Stephen Croxall, 50, had drunk himself "into oblivion" and could not even remember looking after the seven-month-old child.

In fact, he had staggered to a block of flats where the parents lived – but left the pram TWO floors above their home.

Croxall then made his way to his home in Mill Court, Ashford, and fell asleep, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

The following morning when the child's mother rang to ask how her baby was, Croxall thought it was a joke.

Police launched a hunt only to find the baby still in the pram NINETEEN HOURS after being abandoned – thirsty and hungry, but unhurt.

"you were in no fit state to look after a small child…” – judge heather norton

Now Croxall has been given a three-month jail sentence - suspended for 12 months - and ordered to get treatment for his alcohol problem after admitting abandoning a baby.

Denzil Pugh, prosecuting, said Croxall was "probably the world’s worst choice when it comes to babysitting!"

He said the child’s mother had a birthday and decided to have a break from looking after her child.

Mr Pugh said: "The child’s mother and partner had met up with Croxall in a pub in Ashford and quite a considerable consumption of alcohol was taking place that day but an arrangement was made for Croxall to look after the child overnight."

He said Croxall arrived at 6.30pm and took the child away, intending to return him the following day – but "quite what happened that night is uncertain".

Mr Pugh said: "There is video coverage showing Croxall and pram getting into a lift – remaining there for some time and the lift doesn’t go anywhere."

In fact, the child is then left in a corridor outside a flat two floors above his parents’ home – as Croxall staggers home.

Mr Pugh said a resident saw the pram at 8.30pm the same evening, but assumed it had been left there by someone visiting the flat.

The child’s parents awoke at 10.30am the following day and telephoned their friend to ask how the baby was.

The prosecutor added: "Croxall’s response was – 'I don’t know what you are talking about!’ That was on account of his alcohol consumption, which left him with no notion that he had been entrusted with the baby.

"At first Croxall thought it was a joke – but when he realised it wasn’t, contacted the police and a search was started.

"The baby was discovered in the mid-afternoon after an officer heard the distant sounds of a baby crying.

"The child was OK, but quite thirsty and drank quite a lot of milk and was very hungry as well. But he hadn’t come to any harm at all."

Croxall broke down in tears after hearing the child had been found safe and well, telling officers: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to everybody concerned."

Ben Walker-Nolan, defending, said: "He has shown significant remorse for his behaviour, but he never had any intention to cause the child any harm."

Judge Heather Norton told Croxall: "When you volunteered to look after this child you continued drinking and it is clear that you drank yourself into oblivion. You were in no fit state to look after a small child."

Charges against the baby’s parents were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.