A baby’s heart stopped for 15 minutes after he ingested cocaine at a house in Perthshire.
Ninewells Hospital nurses had to perform emergency CPR to revive the critically ill infant.
Goe Wheeler, 30, was jailed for 18 months after he admitting allowing the baby to ingest the class A drug.
Perth Sheriff Court heard he snorted cocaine off a kitchen cooker while looking after the weeks-old infant, whose mother was at a funeral.
It is believed Wheeler, from Blairgowrie, had the substance on his fingers when he picked up the baby from his crib.
Child’s life was in danger
Sheriff Euan Duthie raised concerns Wheeler could still not explain exactly how the child came into contact with the drug.
He said: “This is a extremely serious offence and demonstrates a high degree of recklessness and culpability.
“You endangered this child’s life.
“I am satisfied that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
The court heard the baby had recovered from a cold in early December 2020.
Fiscal depute Bill Kermode said the mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, called her local GP that morning and told them her son’s condition had improved.
“Later that day, she was picked up and taken to a funeral,” the prosecutor said.
“The child was left in the care of the accused at the family’s home in Rattray.”
He said a friend of Wheeler’s arrived and offered him cocaine.
“Both men took the cocaine from the top of a cooker.
“The accused took two lines of cocaine, one in each nostril, with a rolled up bank note.
“His friend also took two lines and wiped his gums with his finger.
“The cooker was then cleaned using bacterial spray.”
Mr Kermode said: “The accused then had a cup of coffee.
“He later went upstairs and saw the baby was beginning to wake up.
“He picked him up and took him downstairs and placed him in his chair in the living room.”
The mother returned later that afternoon.
Rushed to hospital
Concerns were raised later that night when the baby would not eat food and cried when put in a cot.
It was noticed his heart was beating faster than normal.
The following day, the baby was still distressed, crying and vomiting.
His mum was advised to take him to Ninewells.
At the hospital, the baby was placed on an ECG monitor and his racing heartbeat was recorded.
Mr Kermode said: “At 9.30pm, the baby’s heart stopped and he stopped breathing.
“Staff performed CPR for about 15 minutes until his heart restarted.”
Afterwards, arrangements were made to transfer the youngster to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Glasgow.
The court heard cocaine had been found in a sample of the baby’s urine.
When this was later revealed to the baby’s mum, she told a social worker Wheeler had told her he had taken cocaine while she was at the funeral
The property was searched by police and swabbed for traces of the class A drug.
No intention to give baby drugs
Wheeler admitted a charge of acting in a culpable and reckless manner on December 1 or 2 2020.
Solicitor Michael O’Neill, defending, told the court: “Mr Wheeler did not intend for the child to ingest cocaine.
“He accepts he was taking the drug while looking after the boy and the boy must have come into contact with the drug, which may have been on his finger.
“It’s not a case that he was supplying the drug to the child.”
Mr O’Neill added: “He is obviously aware that the custody threshold has been met.”
Earlier this summer, Wheeler, of Myrtle Place, was sentenced to unpaid work after he was caught with a lock knife at Rattray Community Centre.
The court heard he was searched by officers who found the blade in his bum bag.
