A KIDDERMINSTER man who got drunk while babysitting four young children when his partner went on a planned night-out could have prompted a tragedy, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Amy Mattox left their home in Queen Street, Kidderminster, at 8pm and was shocked when she returned at 4am to find the front door open onto the street. Her two-year-old son was sitting in a chair with a cup of vodka and lemonade.

Her partner, 27-year-old Shaun O'Brien was asleep in one of the children's bunk beds. He was so drunk it took police a long time to rouse him, said Abigail Nixon, prosecuting.

She pointed out that the open front door was only 100 yards from a canal. O'Brien had obviously had visitors and there were traces of cocaine on a worktop and a half-empty bottle of vodka. The other three children, aged two, three and five, were asleep upstairs.

O'Brien pleaded guilty to a charge of child cruelty. Judge Nicolas Cartwright commented that any normal parent would have been aghast at the situation.

He could have sentenced O'Brien to immediate custody because he was in breach of a previous suspended jail sentence for robbery. But he decided that a two-year community order could be more beneficial.

The order entails a six-month alcohol treatment course and 60 days rehabilitation. O'Brien must carry out 180 hours unpaid work and pay £340 costs and a £60 surcharge.

Miss Nixon said the previous suspended sentence was for the robbery of two fishermen at a town pool.

O'Brien and a friend, who were collecting fishing permit money, suddenly pushed them into the water and ran off with their equipment.

Jason Aris, mitigating, said O'Brien had completed an unpaid work order and was not only working full-time but also taking a college course on brickwork. He had responded positively to probation officers.

Judge Cartwright said there could have been a tragedy. O'Brien's partner thought something serious had happened when she returned home to find the front door open. Luckily there was no evidence that the youngster in the chair had drunk the alcohol.