A MAN who tried to abduct a baby after a night out drinking has walked free from court.

Steven Wells, 43, climbed onto a flat roof to get through a window in his bid to snatch the daughter of a friend.

But he was caught after the child's father, who had custody of the youngster, locked him in the flat during the night-time raid.

Nick O'Brien, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that on August 17 last year Wells had been drinking heavily with the seven-month-old girl's mother.

She decided she wanted her child back and went towards the home of her former partner, but got involved in an altercation on the way.

When Wells saw her soon after he assumed the baby's father had attacked her even though she told him he had not.

He then went to the home of his friend's former boyfriend and climbed in through a first floor window as the man was getting ready for bed.

In the melee that followed the baby's father managed to lock the two of them in the flat and the police were called to the scene.

When Wells was questioned he admitted that he had gone into the property with the intention of taking the child and returning her to her mother.

Wells, of Crawford Close, Freshbrook, admitted a charge of attempted child abduction.

The court heard he had a history of offending for assault and public order offences and that he tried to change his plea saying his confession was unsafe as he had a condition which meant bright light affected him.

Charles Ward-Jackson, defending, said as well as scotopic sensitivity his client also suffered from epilepsy.

As a result, half of the strip lights in the court room were turned off and Wells wore dark glasses in the dock.

Mr Ward-Jackson said that while the attempted abduction of a child was always serious his client had not laid a finger on the girl during the offence.

Passing sentence Recorder Stewart Wells QC said: "This was no way to try to solve what was in fact some sort of domestic incident involving a small child.

"You can't play with babies like that, it is dangerous. Let's hope she remembers nothing of it."

He imposed a nine-month jail term suspended for two years and a midnight to 7am curfew for six months.