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Mother jailed for toddler's death | |
(10 minutes later) | |
A woman has been jailed for six years for causing the death of her son by feeding him crushed anti-depressant pills to make him sleep. | |
Laura-Jane Vestuto, 28, of Clapton, east London, regularly doped 21-month-old Renzo, the Old Bailey heard. | Laura-Jane Vestuto, 28, of Clapton, east London, regularly doped 21-month-old Renzo, the Old Bailey heard. |
But the drug built up in his body because he was unable to break it down, and on 2 September 2007 Renzo awoke with breathing problems and died. | But the drug built up in his body because he was unable to break it down, and on 2 September 2007 Renzo awoke with breathing problems and died. |
Vestuto had pleaded guilty to causing or allowing his death. | Vestuto had pleaded guilty to causing or allowing his death. |
A more serious charge of manslaughter was allowed to lie on file after Vestuto pleaded not guilty to that offence. | |
He had been a perfectly fit and healthy child Det Insp Keith Braithwaite | |
Tests showed that twice the safe adult dose of Amitriptyline had built up in Renzo's body. | |
Police found traces of the drug on the baby's feeder, and also believe it may have been added to juice or milk. | |
Det Insp Keith Braithwaite of the Metropolitan Police said: "This drug was commonly used as an anti-depressant in the 1970s and 1980s, but is prescribed to people in pain to make them sleep. | |
"Vestuto was giving Renzo small regular doses, but a child cannot break it down in his body." | |
He added: "He had been a perfectly fit and healthy child." | |
Renzo's father, a baker, was not aware of the mother's actions and the couple have since broken up. |