Boy saves his mum's life after drugs overdose

Wednesday 12 October 2016

A 30 year-old mum, whose life was saved by the swift action of her young son after she overdosed on heroin in front of him, has been given 120 hours community service.

The lady, who can't be named to protect the identity of her nine-year-old son, was sentenced in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, for exposing her child to harm.

The Court heard how, on the afternoon of Sunday 28 August, the young boy had found his mum and her boyfriend at the time unconscious on the kitchen floor. He dialled 999 and the ambulance crew arrived to find both had had a heart attack. 

They were taken to A&E and his mum was arrested the following day.

Her defence advocate, Alexander English, said she had been in a relationship with the man for six months and that her son stayed with family members on Friday and Saturday nights. 

He said she had had the drugs supplied to her, that it was "spur of the moment", and there was no intent to take an overdose. 

Advocate English said: "It was reckless and thoughtless in the extreme but there was no intent to expose him to harm."

He said she recognises the trauma suffered by her son and she is doing everything to make amends to the boy. He said she is determined to place the boy first at all times, that she is now having therapy and is working with the Island's Drugs & Alcohol service.

The Court heard how she is no longer in a relationship with the man she overdosed with, her son is not living with her at the moment and she is currently only allowed supervised contact with him. 

He said: "She has suffered enough by not being able to look after her son and no-one loves the boy more."

During sentencing, the Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris said: "You were in a high-risk relationship with a man on the day in question and after being out of the house in licensed premises, voluntarily indulged yourself in a Class A drug when you were the sole carer of a nine year-old child....

"The care roles were effectively reversed and he saved your life. There is no telling what emotional harm he has suffered.

"Provided you do community service, work and keep out of trouble, that will be the end of the matter from this court's point of view. The gravity of this situation has hit you and hit you hard and that should be the best protection, but only time will tell."