06 January 2023 , 13:09
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A dad has been convicted of child neglect after leaving Amazon Alexa in charge of a girl, aged five.
In what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind case, a feckless father left his five-year-old daughter be cared for by the virtual assistant product while he went to the pub with his new girlfriend.
The dad, 27, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his child, left the young girl asleep and alone, while babysitting her by using the Alexa app on his phone while he was in the boozer for the night.
The Magistrates Court in Llandrindod Wells heard how the shameless dad told the police that he "willingly left his daughter at home" at 8pm because he could see her via the app camera.
As the virtual assistant babysitter neglect crime, as the father's method was discovered after he was arrested by police for strangling his new partner at the end of their drinking session.
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The 27-year-old dad looked after his daughter thought the Alexa camera (Gado via Getty Images)Cops were called to investigate, and the dad admitted to leaving his daughter in his partner's home in the town of Powys, with the Alexa device by her bedside.
Prosecutor Stephen Davies added that the dad and his new partner had known each other for around seven months, before they went for a drink together on a Saturday night in August last year.
Mr Davies added that the father was meant to be in charge caring for his daughter - but instead "went to a string of pubs" in the town.
The prosecutor said: “The female had been drinking on the day and he was with her. She went out about 8pm as did he. The child was left in the flat.
“They went to a number of pubs and she says she can’t remember anything until he was strangling her. She doesn’t recall how she got home.
“The police were called and marks were noticed on her neck. She said the child had been left in the house for short a period of time.”
A neighbour had been alerted after hearing screams coming from a garden at around 2am, whereMr Davies said: “A male was running after her. She heard the female say ‘Get off me, get out of my house’ and she called 999."
PC Phillip Coombs arrived at the address at around 2.10am, to find the pair were arguing and they "had to be separated".
“When he was later interviewed he stated he had grabbed the victim by the throat; he told her to shut up and that she needed to calm down," Mr Davies added.
“He said he’d left his daughter at home, but had an Alexa camera app on his phone to monitor her snoring.”
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Police were alerted to the address after a neighbour heard screaming from a garden (Stock image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Gareth Walters, defending, said: “He is a young man of previous good character, who has entered guilty pleas to serious offences."
The 27-year-old man has admitted intentional strangulation of his partner and child neglect.
Magistrates in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, adjourned sentencing until next month after ordering reports into the father.
The court ordered he cannot contact the female victim and he is allowed only supervised contact with his daughter.