Drunk man stumbled around and nearly fell on train track while in charge of two kids
by Sara Nichol · ChronicleLiveA drunk man stumbled around, struggled to bend down and nearly fell on a train track while in charge of two young children.
Tony Higgins was spotted by two off-duty police officers as he attempted to make his way to Newcastle Central Station with the youngsters. The officers immediately became concerned when they noticed how intoxicated the 26-year-old was as he narrowly missed falling into a hole and was walking in the wrong direction to the station.
A court heard that the constables approached Higgins and spoke with the children, during which time they had to stop them crossing a road when cars were coming and watched as Higgins struggled to bend down to pick up from dropped money. Prosecutors said that the worried officers contacted British Transport Police and escorted Higgins and the children to the station, where uniformed officers took over.
Whilst on a platform, Higgins was watched as he slurred his words and stumbled very close to the train track. A family relative of the children was eventually called to come and collect them and Higgins was arrested.
The groundsman, of Evenwood Road, Esh Winning, in County Durham, has now been fined after he pleaded guilty to being drunk and in charge of a child under seven. Ruth Forster, prosecuting at Newcastle Magistrates' Court, said the off-duty officers spotted Higgins and the kids on the afternoon of October 5 this year.
Mrs Forster continued: "The defendant was so unsteady on his feet that he narrowly missed falling into a hole. The officers agreed to walk to the train station with them. As they stood at a pedestrian crossing outside Forth Banks Police Station and the lights were on green, the defendant told the children to walk and the officers had to stop them and say there were cars coming from around the corner.
"The officers say the defendant was concentrating more on lighting a cigarette than anything else. He dropped some money and couldn't bend down to pick it up. He tried and failed a number of times.
"He didn't notice that the children had walked away with the two officers, who were off-duty and not in uniform, so, to the defendant, they were strangers."
The court heard that once at Central Station, the off-duty officers informed the British Transport Police of their concerns around Higgins and his level of intoxication. Mrs Forster said it was just after this, as Higgins walked on platform 3, that he stumbled and nearly fell onto the track.
Neil Connell, defending, said Higgins had drank five pints that day but has no recollection of talking to the off-duty officers. Mr Connell added: "It was a one-off. Mr Higgins knows that it wasn't appropriate."
Magistrates fined Higgins £200 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
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