Robert IsaacALCOHOLIC Robert Isaac has begged forgiveness from a family for abandoning their baby and stealing their cash, before disappearing on a spending spree.

Yesterday the unemployed 40-year-old told the Gazette he is racked with guilt by his crimes and wants to apologise to the family and make amends.

But the Chippenham family says it can never forgive Isaac for deserting their ten-month-old baby boy, who was abandoned while he slept alone upstairs.

"We will never be able to trust him again and I will never let him near my baby again," the mother said.

"The baby always had a smile and a chuckle for him. I just can't understand how he could do that to a child he was so proud of.

"He's at that age when he's starting to get around more. He can stand and climb the stairs, so it could have been the day he decided to climb out of his cot.

"I'm terrified to think about what could have happened to him.

"I want to know that he (Isaac) is going to be punished for what he's done, because no one should be allowed to get away with that. I would like to see an apology in writing at some time that would make me feel like he did have a conscience.

"But an apology just isn't good enough and never will be. He won't have the chance to come near my baby again."

Isaac, of Neston Crescent, in Corsham, pleaded guilty to theft and cruelty to a child at Chippenham Magistrates Court on Monday.

Prosecuting, Michelle Hewitt said the baby's father was aware of Isaac's drink problems, but he was a welcome guest and often came round to help with odd jobs and babysit.

In December the baby's mother arranged a meeting at her home with a loan advisor, because she wanted some extra cash to help cover the expense of Christmas.

Isaac was in the house during the meeting and saw the £500 cash loan taken upstairs and hidden.

The court heard that Isaac stayed the night and spent the next day helping to decorate, while the children and their mother went out.

When she returned she received a telephone call from her aunt saying she was unwell.

Ms Hewitt said the family decided to go and visit the aunt for a short while, leaving their baby, who was asleep upstairs, in Isaac's care.

But the magistrates heard that once Isaac was alone he went upstairs and stole £490 cash, which was hidden in a bedroom, before leaving the house and the baby and going on a spending spree.

The family returned shortly afterwards and realised what had transpired and contacted the police.

Six days later Isaac was arrested and in his interview with the police admitted stealing the cash and blowing it on a car, cigarettes and booze.

Ms Hewitt said: "This was a serious breach of trust. Not only did he steal cash, he left a ten-month-old unattended."

She added that Isaac was caught drink driving in his new car, despite being a disqualified driver, three days after the theft.

Defending, Andrew Watts-Jones said Issac's actions "beggared belief".

"I have known him for years and he is an alcoholic," he said.

"He was left to babysit and was the only one in the house, so everyone knew it was him."

The case was adjourned until January 27 for pre-sentence reports to be prepared. Isaac was released on bail.

After the hearing the mother said Isaac often came round to help her and her husband with odd jobs.

The day before the theft he helped the family lay a new carpet before packing boxes of screws with the mother.

He then stayed overnight and the next day, a woman from a loan company came to the house to issue the family with a £500 loan, which the mother counted in the kitchen, next to the living room where Isaac was sitting.

The mother said the family needed the money because her husband was out of work and the extra cash would have been used to cover a shortfall in rent and other bills.

But because the money did not arrive until 6pm on Friday, she was unable to bank it and her husband, who is a factory worker, hid it upstairs in a box, in the couple's bedroom.

When the mother's aunt telephoned the next day, her baby was asleep upstairs. She said Isaac told her not to wake the child and volunteered to stay at home and look after him.

But when they returned home less than an hour later, he was gone.

The woman said she knew Isaac had a drink problem, but had never experienced any difficulties with him in the past and had left her child in his care for short, ten or 15-minute periods.