A Palmerston North father who left his baby in a car while he was at a Wellington strip club has pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving a child without supervision and care.
Wayne Schwamm, 42, appeared in Wellington District Court and was fined $200 and ordered to pay $130 in court costs.
The court heard Schwamm travelled to Wellington early last Tuesday morning and left his 18-month-old son, who has a heart condition, in a basket in the car outside the Splash Club on Courtenay Place.
Police were alerted and forced their way into the car to remove the child, who was assessed by paramedics and taken to hospital.
Schwamm's lawyer said his client went to the club to pick up a friend, but she'd been required to work overtime and he had to wait for her to finish.
The lawyer said the worst punishment for his client had been the amount of media attention the case had attracted.
Schwamm will appear in Palmerston North District Court next week on a domestic assault charge.
