Drunken babysitter fell asleep on infant

A court heard the infant’s life may have been saved thanks to the actions of a shopkeeper who went into Najma Kosar’s home and prevented a tragedy.

Kosar, 41, had drunk the equivalent of almost three times the drink-drive limit when she was in charge of the baby and her toddler brother.

Heather Gilmour, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that the children’s mother approached Kosar as she was known for babysitting children.

Kosar agreed to look after them at her home in Bexley Terrace, Harehills, Leeds, on January 17, last year while the mother went to work.

Miss Gilmour said local shopkeeper Vishamth Pravakar became aware that Kosar had been drinking while looking after children.

He closed his shop and went into the property and found Kosar asleep in bed upstairs.

Miss Gilmour said: “He went upstairs and the defendant was lying in bed with her arms and head pressing down on something which he thought was a pillow before it became apparent it was the child.”

Mr Pravakar later told police he believed the baby would have suffocated had he not intervened as she was gasping for breath.

Kosar told officers she had four cans of Carlsberg Special Brew at 8.30am that day but had stopped drinking when the children arrived at the property.

Kosar pleaded guilty to two offences of child neglect.

Recorder Robert Spragg made Kosar the subject of a 12-month community order.

He said: “You should be extremely grateful that this man arrived.”