A Manx advocate has been fined £500 for being drunk in charge of children.

Neil Scott Leonard-Morgan, who is also the director of a law firm, admitted the offence and was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Rebecca Cubbon told the court that, on October 2, at 11.20am, police were called to an area outside the Woodbourne pub in Douglas after receiving a report of a man lying on the ground.

Police arrived and found Leonard-Morgan, who lives at Brunswick Road, Douglas.

He said that he had lost consciousness and fallen.

Officers described him as unable to stand, slurring his words, and smelling of alcohol, and an ambulance was called due to the fall.

Leonard-Morgan was deemed medically fit and was subsequently arrested.

When interviewed, the 50-year-old said he had got up at 3am and done some work.

He said that, at 7am, he had drunk a small vodka and soda, as he considered it would be the same as having it at lunchtime, considering the time he had got up.

He told police that he had fallen over in the kitchen and banged his head on a flagstone.

Then, outside the Woodbourne pub, he said he had felt dizzy.

Leonard-Morgan said that he had drunk a couple of glasses of wine the night before but was adamant he was not intoxicated.

However, he could not account for the smell of alcohol which police said had been present.

No marks or cuts were found to his head.

The court heard that he has no previous convictions.

Defence advocate Darren Taubitz made an application to the court for an order for his client’s name to not be reported in the media, but this was refused by magistrates.

Mr Taubitz said: ‘The facts are accepted.  The incident is totally out of character.

‘Mr Leonard-Morgan had a rare night out the night before.

‘He left his house having banged his head on a flagstone.’

The advocate pointed out that his client had been arrested at 12.16pm and declared fit for interview at 2.08pm, saying that this showed the real picture in terms of his intoxication.

Mr Taubitz said that Leonard-Morgan had taken a pragmatic view, without having seen CCTV footage or police body-cam footage.

‘He is embarrassed and ashamed to be in court,’ said the advocate.

‘This is someone who’s made an error of judgement.  You will not see him in court again.’

Magistrates gave the defendant one month to pay the fine and costs.