A man has been fined after drinking beer in a children’s playground while a young family was playing.

Tommy Peter Cheary, of Samuel Webb Crescent, Douglas, was seen by a family drinking in the playground in Ballure Road, Willaston, on January 4.

The 41-year-old admitted being found drunk in a public place.

Prosecutor Rebecca Cubbon told the court a family - including children aged two and 11 - witnessed Cheary sitting on a tree stump at the playground drinking from a can of beer at 12.45pm.

The father said that he saw Cheary stagger along a pathway and then appear to be preparing to urinate.

The man shouted to Cheary, saying: ’What are you doing? There are kids about.’

Cheary responded by shuffling into some bushes and shouting: ’What.’

He then headed along Johnny Watterson’s Lane and was stopped by police on Ballure Road.

Officers said Cheary was struggling to communicate and initially arrested him for indecent exposure.

Apology

The charge was later amended to being found drunk in a public place.

Defence advocate Paul Glover said: ’Mr Cheary is incredibly sorry to the young family.

’It was a relatively early time of day. He has learned a very valuable lesson to say the very least.’

Mrs Hughes asked why Cheary was drinking in a children’s playground in the afternoon and Cheary said that it was ’just a case of getting out rather than staying in his house alone drinking’.

The Deputy High Bailiff fined Cheary £200 and ordered him to pay £125 prosecution costs.

She warned him that he was ’perhaps fortunate not to be charged with something more serious’.