A man who attempted to kill a newborn baby by poisoning her milk bottle with prescription drugs in a milk bottle has been jailed.
Jamar Bailey, 21, searched online for “how to poison a baby” and “how to kill a newborn”, detectives said.
The three-week-old girl was taken to hospital in June 2020 after becoming listless and unresponsive.
Bailey, from Birmingham, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was jailed for 25-and-a-half years at the city’s crown court.
A urine test detected sodium valporate in the infant, a drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder that can be fatal to newborns.
Hospital staff notified police officers as they said the drug could not have been taken accidentally by the newborn baby.
Police found Bailey, of Augustin Grove, Winson Green, was taking medication for seizures and a search discovered a prescription drug containing sodium valporate in his name.
Toxicology tests found evidence of the drug in the baby’s milk bottle.
West Midlands Police confirmed she survived and was thriving.
However it would not be known until she was older whether she suffered any lasting effects, the force added.
Bailey had previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder and a charge of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class B.
Det Sgt Kirsty Wilson said officers were pleased the little girl was doing well as she was “lucky to be alive”.
She added: “Bailey’s actions were premeditated and could quite easily have resulted in her death.”
William Boyce QC, prosecuting, said: “The baby woke crying. Her cries seemed different so her mother called 111.
“The next day, June 27, she was fed for a short time. When she next woke she was not latching onto the breast and her arms just dropped back.
“111 called an ambulance immediately. She was extremely unwell, hypothermic and unresponsive to stimulus.
“The initial investigation was around possible infection. She was unstable and transferred to the paediatric ICU.
“She was ventilated she received treatment for raised ammonia levels. Her mother was always present at hospital.
“The doctors concluded that she sustained significant harm as a result of being administered sodium valproate.”
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
[sibwp_form id=4]
