Drunk Perth woman tips toddler from buggy on busy road

Dec 11 2009

A DRUNKEN Perth woman fell while pushing a child in its buggy, tipping the youngster out onto a busy city centre road, writes Les Stewart.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that Barbara Garry (34), of Drummond Crescent, was so inebriated she was “stumbling around and could hardly stand.”

But a member of the public came to her aid, rescuing the distressed infant.

Solicitor Rosie Scott told the court if people hadn’t been there, the tot could have been “seriously injured or killed.”

And she added: “The accused is horrified at that. She very much regrets the distress caused – and the potential risk to which she exposed the child.”

Garry was put on probation for 12 months this week after admitting wilfully exposing or neglecting the toddler in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.

The incident took place in County Place on August 24.

Garry was under the influence of alcohol at the time.

Depute fiscal Charmaine Cole said that the incident took place about 7.30pm.

The proprietor of a shop in County Place was alerted by a scream, turned round and saw the accused and the child lying on the roadway.

The wheelchair was lying on its side nearby.

The accused was pulled to her feet, initially leaving the youngster on the busy road.

But the toddler was then handed to her and she put it back into the pushchair.

Because of Garry’s drunken condition, however, the shop proprietor was concerned about the child’s welfare.

A passenger in a passing bus, who had also noticed the small child lying on the road, alerted the police.

“The police arrived and traced the accused,” added the depute fiscal. “They saw that the child was in the pushchair but wasn’t properly strapped in.

“They also noticed there was a considerable quantity of alcohol within the pushchair.

“They observed that the accused was unable to stand up without being supported and was clearly incapable of looking after the child, who was extremely distressed.”

The accused was taken to Perth Police HQ but on the way she was violently sick in the back of the police car.

“She was so drunk that she had no recollection where she had been or that the child had been in her care.”

The toddler was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary for a check-up in case it had sustained head injuries.

Mrs Scott said Garry had “no recollection” of being in that condition.

She told social workers she had only shared a bottle of wine and suspected that her drink had been “spiked.”

When asked to describe her feelings when told what had happened, she replied: “Numb, disgusted, sick and totally embarrassed.”

The lawyer added: “She’s horrified she could put the child in danger and horrified what could have happened.”