A mother used her 7-year-old son’s asthma inhaler to smoke drugs as the young boy suffered an asthma attack and tragically died in the garden.
Hakeem Hussain was found dead outside their Birmingham house at around 7:30 am in November 2017.
According to reports, his 39-year-old mother, Laura Heath, has been charged with manslaughter and is currently standing trial at Coventry Crown Court.
Heath has admitted to four counts of child cruelty relating to neglect, including exposing her son to crack cocaine and heroin.
Photos seen by jurors and released by West Midlands Police show a filthy property in Cook Street where Hakeem was found dead.
The pictures also show his asthma pumps wrapped in foil beside the ‘drug paraphernalia,’ the court heard.
Prosecutors said that Heath used her child’s inhalers to ‘smoke drugs,’ adding that the substances had become the ‘first priority’ in her life.
Hakeem also told the court that the young boy was made to sleep on a dirty sofa, while his school uniform reeked of cigarettes and his jumper smelled of urine.
Heath and her son had moved from Long Acre to Cook Street only days before he tragically died.
Matthew Brook, prosecuting, said the mother called 999 at 7:37 am.
“He’s dead… my son. He’s took himself outside when we’re asleep because he’s got asthma, and he’s fell asleep, he’s dead,” Heath told the call handler.
“He must have woke up and took himself outside so he can. He’s got asthma. He’s fell asleep outside. He must’ve done. He didn’t wake me up.”
The court heard the call handler offered to give assistance but the mother responded: “He’s gone. He’s blue and he’s stiff. There’s no saving him, he’s gone.”
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