Ladbible X Whatsapp
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Dad loses custody of his daughter after leaving an Alexa on to babysit while he was at the pub

Home> News

Published 20:04 1 Feb 2023 GMT

Dad loses custody of his daughter after leaving an Alexa on to babysit while he was at the pub

While Amazon's device has many uses, child minding is not one of them

Daisy Phillipson

Daisy Phillipson

A dad has lost custody of his daughter after leaving an Alexa on to babysit while he was down the pub.

Amazon’s cloud-based voice service device is handy for all sorts of reasons, from making to-do lists to setting alarms.

Minding a child of any age is not one of them.

But that’s exactly what the man at the centre of this case did, leaving his five-year-old daughter alone and keeping an eye on her using the Alexa phone app.

Advert

The 30-year-old man, who hasn’t been named for legal reasons, faced court this week where it was heard that he’d 'willingly left his daughter at home' at 8pm on 13 August last year in order to go out drinking.

The man left his daughter alone with an Amazon Alexa by her bed.
PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

Authorities only discovered the fact at around 2am the following morning when he strangled his new girlfriend and neighbours called the police after hearing screaming coming from their garden.

When the cops arrived, he admitted to leaving his daughter at home alone with nothing but the Alexa to watch over her as he ‘went to a string of pubs’ in the town of Powys.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies told the court that the defendant and his new girlfriend had known each other for around seven months before the night in question.

Advert

He 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 a short period of time.”

When PC Phillip Coombs arrived at the man’s property at 2.10am, they found him and his new partner fighting.

“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,” Davies added.

Advert

“He said he'd left his daughter at home, but had an Alexa camera app on his phone to monitor her snoring.”

The man and his partner went out drinking.
Pexels

Defending, Gareth Walters said: “He is a young man of previous good character, who has entered guilty pleas to serious offences.

“The consequences of this will be felt by him for a long time. His daughter has been taken away and it was largely him who cared for her.

“He felt he was keeping an eye on his daughter but he realises you can't do that remotely.

Advert

“There was some effort by him to keep an eye on her but he knows the standards fell below what is expected of a parent.”

The man pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation and child neglect at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates' Court in Wales, and was slapped with a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: UK News, Crime, Parenting, Amazon, Technology

Daisy Phillipson
Daisy Phillipson

Daisy graduated from Kingston University with a degree in Magazine Journalism, writing a thesis on the move from print to digital publishing. Continuing this theme, she has written for a range of online publications including Digital Spy and Little White Lies, with a particular passion for TV and film. Contact her on [email protected]

X

@DaisyWebb77

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • 10 hours ago

    Man, 92, found guilty of murder of woman nearly 60 years ago in UK's 'longest cold case'

    75-year-old Louisa Dunne was murdered in her Bristol home in 1967

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    'Marriage destroyer' holiday hotspot where Brits 'can't stop cheating' revealed

    Time to cancel those flights

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Brit ranked no.733 in world won't receive £99k prize money despite shock first round win at Wimbledon

    Oliver Tarvet won't see the money because of a sporting rule

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Police in frantic search for victim's head after reality star girlfriend charged with murder

    Police believe he was killed nearly two weeks ago now

    News
  • Heartbroken mother speaks out after her daughter was cut into 200 pieces by husband
  • How abuser in 'largest UK catfish case' was finally brought down as he is being jailed for life
  • Son of 'Britain's most evil parent' says there's still one thing he doesn't understand about mother's abuse
  • Rapper who killed and ate his roommate explained what he was thinking at the time