A mother, Rose Jone, 30 has been jailed for poisoning her young daughter by repeatedly putting a high dose of a powerful painkiller called Tramadol into her breastmilk.
When it was discovered, the mother-of-eight tried to blame the child’s dad.
Judge Ian Lawrie, sentencing her to seven years and two months in jail, said: ‘What we have here is not violence in its traditional sense, but it many ways it is perhaps worse.
‘It is the administration of poison over a length of time; there is an element of persistence and almost calculation about this.’
Hospital staff became suspicious that drugs were involved in the child’s illness, and Jones was arrested after the child tested positive for tramadol – a drug which her mother was addicted to.
At first she tried to blame her ex, Shane Cruickshank, who was arrested but later released without charge.
Jones maintained her innocence until last month, when she finally admitted child cruelty and perverting the course of justice.
Evidence emerged that Jones’ two-year-old daughter also had Tramadol in her system and that she started the fire herself, but she denied these points and the charges will lie on file.
Prosecutor Jo Martin told Plymouth Crown Court: ‘It’s hugely disappointing that Rose Jones continues to tell what appear to be lies in order to fit the evidence.
‘(The second girl) will never know what happened to her as a child.’
Ms Martin added: ‘It is so hard to know why Rose Jones did this.
‘One inference is she was doing it because of her addiction, that she could not help herself.
‘Another inference is she was deliberately poisoning her child to seek sympathy and finance from the authorities.’
Mr Cruickshank said: ‘She has ripped my life apart and caused me no end of stress.
‘Words can’t describe the pain Rose has caused me, I feel I will be scarred for life because of her.’
Fortunately the child is not thought to have suffered long term health damage, and all of Jones’ children have been taken into care.
Defence barrister Ali Rafati said: ‘She was in a very poor place to make decisions for herself.
‘Rose Jones was finding life very, very difficult for a variety of reasons and she admitted Tramadol to her youngest daughter to just calm her down.
‘With a small dose it had the desired effect.’
