A POWYS father left his five-year-old daughter asleep at home, monitoring her using an app on his phone while he went out drinking.

Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court heard this week that the man – who can't be named for legal reasons – told police he had willingly left his daughter at home, but had been able to monitor her via an Alexa camera that was connected to his mobile phone.

The incident came to light when the man strangled his partner and police were called.

The man, from Builth Wells, admitted both charges against him when he appeared at court on Wednesday, January 4. He pleaded guilty to one count of intentional strangulation in relation to his partner as well as one count of neglecting a child, causing unnecessary suffering.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies told Wednesday’s hearing that the defendant and female victim had known each other for around seven months and had gone out drinking in Builth on Saturday, August 13, last year.

“The female had been drinking on the day and the defendant was with her," he said. "She went out about 8pm, as did he. The child was left in the flat.

“They went to a number of pubs and she says she can’t remember anything until he was strangling her. She doesn’t recall how she got home.

“The police were called and marks were noticed on her neck. She said the child had been left in the house for a short period of time.”

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Mr Davies read out evidence provided by a neighbour of the female victim, who had been alerted by screaming in the garden at around 2am on the following morning, Sunday, August 14.

“A male was running after her. She heard the female say ‘Get off me, get out of my house’ and she called 999," he said.

PC Coombs arrived at 2.10am, where the pair were arguing, and they had to be separated.

“When he was later interviewed he stated he had grabbed the victim by the throat; he told her to shut up and that she needed to calm down," Mr Davies added.

“He said he’d left his daughter at home, but had an Alexa camera app on his phone to monitor her snoring.”

Gareth Walters, representing the defendant, said: “He is a young man of previous good character, who has entered guilty pleas to serious offences."

Magistrates adjourned the matter so that a report can be prepared – and the defendant will appear again for sentencing on February 1.

He is not to contact the female victim and he is allowed supervised contact only with his daughter.