Mum treated kids with methadone before, court told
A mother who killed her five-year-old son with a lethal dose of methadone had previously given the boy the drug when he was suffering from swine flu, a court has been told.
Lisa Ann Collard, 45, put methadone in her son Kristopher's bottle of cordial at her Modbury Heights home in Adelaide in June last year in an attempt to treat the boy's flu symptoms.
The Supreme Court was told a pathologist's report revealed the boy was actually suffering from pneumonia.
Collard pleaded guilty to manslaughter and administering a prescription drug without lawful excuse.
Her lawyer, Andrew English, said the case was a tragic, confronting and unusual case of manslaughter.
"There is not the slightest question in Ms Collard's conduct in administering the methadone that she held any ill-will towards Kristopher," he said.
"She loved her little boy and she made a catastrophic error of judgment.
"She was well aware that she was not permitted to administer it to any other person and it was illegal to do so.
"She knew it was a very dangerous substance and she should not have been giving it to her little boy for pain relief."
Mr English admitted the family lived in squalor and concerns were raised by Families SA.
"There are many deficiencies in Ms Collard's parenting skills. Notwithstanding the dysfunction, the children and their mother had very worthwhile and loving relationships," he told the court.
"For all her deficiencies, she is fundamentally a good person and a caring mother.
"Unfortunately Ms Collard became complacent and overconfident in her use of methadone and tragically she made the error of judgment to administer it to Kristopher in the misguided idea that it would relieve his symptoms."
Anguish
Mr English said it was within the court's power to impose a suspended sentence or a low non-parole term.
"There is really no sanction that this court can impose that measures up to the anguish she's experienced after the loss of her young son," the court heard.
"Ms Collard loved Kristopher and the last thing she wanted to do was to cause him harm.
"Ms Collard understands the situation and she's going to be paying for it for the rest of her life."
Prosecutor Lucy Boord told the court the offending was serious when taken in the context of Collard's past treatment of her children.
She said there was no record of Collard ever having taken her five children to see a doctor for medical treatment, but she had treated them with methadone at least twice when they were unwell.
"When we're looking at a standard of care that's expected of a parent, this is grossly negligent. This was how she treated her children medically," Ms Boord said.
"It is a very serious offence, it's had dire consequences, and your Honour's sentence needs to reflect that. There's been a loss of a very young, vulnerable life.
"The courts must be seen to protect children when they are vulnerable, so in all the circumstances an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate."
Three of Collard's children prepared a joint statement in which they told the court they missed their mother and wanted her released from prison.
Collard's daughter, Tamara Norville, said she wanted her mother to come and live with her and her two brothers as soon as possible.
"Kristopher was a very smart little kid. We miss him a lot," the statement said.
"We all miss mum... we feel like we've been left with no parents.
"I feel like mum tried to help Kristopher and would never have tried to hurt him. We miss you mum and we love you."
Mr English said he intended challenging the prosecution notion that Collard never took her children to a doctor.
The matter returns to court next week.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-23/mum-treated-kids-with-methadone-before-court-told/4329202
Very sad