Chloe Ashley successfully prosecutes mother and father for child cruelty.

Chloe Ashley was instructed by CPS to prosecute two parents who exposed their infant daughters to Class A prompting several severe medical episodes.

The defendant’s Rachel Bourne and John Douglas were habitual drug users. Their two young children suffered life-threatening respiratory events, in the case of their younger daughter this sadly led to her untimely death.

The case was evidentially complex, Kings Counsel was initially instructed. Experts in 7 areas of paediatric medicine, toxicology and perinatal and paediatric pathology were relied upon by the Crown.

The lead defendant, Rachel Bourne was sentenced on 15^th November to 31 months’ imprisonment. 

The sentence of John Douglas will take place on 20^th November 2024.

Links:

 Mother, 34, whose 10-week-old baby girl died after being exposed to heroin and crack cocaine is jailed for child cruelty – Mail Online

Live updates as parents to be sentenced after death of Stoke-on-Trent baby –  StokeonTrent Live