When police eventually found her at the neighbouring home, she was so drunk she could not tell them her child's name, the court was told. The 32-year-old had left her toddler alone in the home for at least 2.5 hours one March afternoon while she visited a friend who lived nearby. The court heard the woman intended to duck out briefly while the child slept, but ended up passing out on her friend's lounge.

Police were alerted after a neighbour heard the two-year-old crying and calling out for his mother from within the house.

The neighbour tried knocking on the front door before she followed the cries to a bathroom window and found the child naked, sitting near an exposed razor shaver and eating toothpaste and soap. By the time police arrived the child had climbed into the sink, putting him at risk of falling onto the tiled floor or through the bathroom window flyscreen, the court heard.

The mother was found some time later at her friend's, incoherent and reeking of alcohol, according to a police fact sheet.

When asked what her child's name was, she replied "nice one", the fact sheet stated.

Yesterday the woman appeared before Magistrate Michael Stoddart and pleaded guilty to one count of child neglect.

The court heard that the woman had developed a drinking problem after she suffered an injury that forced her to end a life-long sporting interest. The woman lost custody of her child as a result of the offence and had since completed alcohol counselling and a parenting course in the hope of getting her family life back on track.

Mr Stoddart, who described the woman's behaviour as "absolutely appalling and shameful", said the law only allowed him to impose a fine at most.

He subsequently fined the woman $5000, plus court costs.