A two-year-old girl died after drinking methadone that her parents stored in Tom and Jerry cups and Fruit Shoot bottles at their home.
A court in the UK has heard that Sophie Jones was found covered in vomit by paramedics at her parents home in March after drinking the heroin substitute from the cartoon-branded cup.
The toddler’s mother Michelle King has pleaded guilty to Sophie’s manslaughter, admitting that she was selling her weekly dose of methadone to raise money for other drugs. These substances included cocaine, traces of which were found on the two-year-old’s soother.
Her partner Barry Jones has said he is not guilty of the charges and is standing trial for the offence.
“Both parents have been users of heroin and crack cocaine for some years and were habitually taking these drugs at the time of Sophie’s death. Michelle King was prescribed methadone, which is heroin replacement,” said prosecutor Jeremy Grout-Smith.
“Sophie died from drinking the methadone, which she drank from a child’s plastic drinking cup. She died because of the carelessness and neglect of her parents.”
He also revealed that Barry’s mother Jean saw Sophie “fall at least once” while visiting the house earlier that day and told the parents that they should call an ambulance.
“They told her they would take Sophie to the medical centre later that day. After they had left, Jones phoned his mother and told her they had taken Sophie to the centre but that was untrue,” he said.
‘They both knew she was unwell because of the drug she had taken and they knew that would be diagnosed by medical staff. They knew they were at fault. They were both aware that Sophie had been put into a deep slumber.”
