A Ramsey man has been fined £500 after admitting being drunk in charge of a child.

He also pleaded being drunk and disorderly at the Co-op and was fined a further £250 for that.

The man appeared before Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood on December 31, and was given a 12 month ban from entering licensed premises, and purchasing or being supplied with alcohol.

We have not named the man in order to protect the identity of the child.

Prosecuting advocate Victoria Kinrade told the court that the man collected the child, who is eight, from his partner on December 14.

He then went to Douglas with the boy, and drunk five pints of cider as well as a number of shots.

They then returned to Ramsey, where the man went to the Co-op in Christian Street to buy more alcohol.

However, staff described him as unsteady and said that he was carrying an open can with him, so they refused to serve him.

This prompted the defendant to become angry, shouting: ‘f**** sake’, and threatening to ‘wreck the place’.

Police were called and they found the man nearby, still with the child who was said to be visibly distressed and pleading with the man to stop swearing.

The child’s mother was called and she collected the boy, while the man was arrested.

The court heard that he has a number of previous drink-related convictions.

Defence advocate Helen Lobb asked for credit to be given for her client’s guilty pleas and said that he had admitted the offences in a police interview.

She said that he wanted to apologise to the court, had recognised that he may need assistance, and was willing to engage with Motiv8.

Ms Lobb said that the defendant had kept out of trouble during a previous licensing ban, but that had expired shortly before this latest offence.

‘He doesn’t wish to make excuses,’ said the advocate. ‘He is incredibly ashamed.’

‘The child’s mother has forgiven him, but he is on very thin ice, and is still in a relationship with her.

‘He has apologised to the child as well.’

The court heard that the man received a caution in January as well as two convictions later in the year for drink-related offences.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood told the defendant: ‘This was grossly unacceptable behaviour.

‘An eight-year-old child, clearly frightened, confused and very distressed.

‘To witness you being abusive towards other people, to the extent the child was begging you not to do it.

‘The whole episode was disgusting.

‘I can only hope that you do seek help in relation to your alcohol misuse.’

The defendant was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs and will pay all amounts at a rate of £25 per week.

* In an earlier version of this story, we reported that the defendant in this case was the father of the child mentioned. However, this was incorrect. The child concerned was the defendant's partner's child.