SCOTTISH MUM GUILTY OF CAUSING BABY'S DEATH AFTER COCAINE EXPOSURE
A Scottish mum has been found guilty of causing 'serious harm' to her baby daughter - who died after ingesting cocaine.Shareen Mains, 36, exposed her 10-week-old to the drug and caused her to ingest it, a jury decided.
The court heard Mains woke up at 4am to feed the baby and went back to sleep.
Later that morning, she found the baby was not breathing and was unresponsive, and she couldn't be revived.
Tests showed four baby bottles in the house contained traces of cocaine, and the infant also had traces of the drug in her body.
Mains, now of Farquhar Road, Port Glasgow, was unanimously convicted of all four charges, including causing unnecessary suffering or injury to health and exposing her baby to controlled drugs.
The incident occurred in September 2019 when the baby was found lifeless in her home by her mother.
The court heard from witnesses, including a paramedic and a neighbour who was a nurse, about the scene and the evidence of drugs found in the home, such as burnt foil and polythene wraps, as well as a homemade 'bong'.
Tests indicated traces of cocaine consistent with exposure but did not confirm when the drug was ingested.
The defence argued that contamination could have occurred during handling of evidence years later.
The jury rejected the defence's arguments and found Mains guilty of all charges, which included possession of cannabis and phenazepam along with cocaine.
The case was described as both tragic and difficult, and sentencing is scheduled for January next year.
