Mother allegedly neglected toddler who died after ingesting methadone, trial hears

By Peter Murtagh

A two-and-a-half-year-old toddler died after ingesting her drug addict father’s methadone, a trial has heard.

The child’s mother, Sadie Douglas, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of wilful neglect, leading to the death of the child, on April 13th and 14th 2016.

Her partner, the child’s father, is not before the court.

The court heard yesterday that baby Heidi, who was born on August 8th 2013, was found dead on April 14th 2016, lying on her parent’s bed at their home at Rathsallagh Drive, Shankill, Co Dublin.

Judge Orla Crowe and the jury heard that Ms Douglas and her partner stayed up for most of the night of April 13th and into the following day, looking at photographs on an old phone.

Ms Douglas allegedly told gardai that on the morning of the 14th, she lay the child beside her at the top of the bed and fell asleep.

The child’s father fell asleep across the bottom of the bed.

Around 10.30am, the child is alleged to have eaten some crackers with her brother but otherwise to have remained in the bed until she was discovered unconscious in the afternoon.

Opening the case for the prosecution Patrick McGrath SC said that after Heidi has been found by her father, apparently unconscious and unresponsive on the afternoon of the 14th, an ambulance took the child to Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin but she died.

Mr McGrath said that a state pathologist found that Heidi had methadone in her system and concluded that “death in this case was due to . . . methadone toxicity”.

The methadone led to a brain disfunction because of lack of oxygen; because of decrease of blood pressure through methadone poisoning.

It was not clear how the child came in contact with the methadone, said Mr McGrath.

The child’s father was taking the drug, which is a heroin substitute, that was obtained on proscription from chemist.

The barrister said that close to where the child was discovered, a plastic measuring cup was also found.

In it were traces of methadone. The court heard later from garda witnesses that the father attempted to take the plastic cup and clean it but was prevented from doing so.

The same gardai said that the father’s 500ml bottle of methadone was on top of a press in the kitchen when they called to the house after the child was taken to hospital and the property was declared a crime scene.

Mr McGrath said that Ms Douglas was charged because she was in charge of a child which she allegedly neglected wilfully, exposing her in a way that affected her well-being.

It was “a tragic and sad case that will generate sympathy”, he said, urging the jury to concentrate only on the facts of the case and not their feelings.

The trial continues.