POLICE found a drunken man using his three-month-old baby as a pillow, a court was told yesterday. Officers entered the house in Flintshire to investigate reports of a screaming baby. As they went upstairs, the crying became louder and they heard a slurred man's voice saying "shut up". Inside the front bedroom, they found the 36-year-old father, from the Holywell area, with the baby girl on a single bed - appearing to use her as a pillow. Rhian Jackson, prosecuting at Flint-shire magistrates' court in Mold, yesterday, said: "The baby was lying on its back and the defendant appeared to be using the baby as a pillow and had his head on her stomach." The baby's legs were either side of her father's head. Magistrates were told the two officers were concerned about her welfare. The father woke up as police stood in the bedroom and said "come back tomorrow", magistrates heard. He tried to put his head back on the baby but was prevented by one of the officers. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then got out of bed. There was a smell of alcohol, he was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred. The officers took the view he was drunk. He told police his partner was in hospital and he was looking after the children for three weeks. "They're OK," he told police.. The man admitted a child neglect charge and the case against him was adjourned for a pre-sentence report. Officers were called to the house at 2.15am on October 8. It was in darkness but they could hear the baby crying. They knocked on the door several times. Police even got their control room to ring the telephone at the address but there was no answer. They found an unlocked back door and entered the house, calling out "hello, it's the police" and made their way upstairs. In a front bedroom they found two children on a double bed who told officers where the light was. They turned it on to find the defendant lying with his head on the baby's stomach. The baby was very distressed, said Ms Jackson. Magistrates bailed the man for sentence in January. They made an order that the baby should not be publicly identified. | 
