The heroin-addicted parents of a 22-month-old child fed him lethal methadone over five months before he eventually died of an overdose, a court has heard.
It was suggested in court that the couple, who were both taking prescribed heroin substitutes in an attempt to beat their addictions, regularly fed the tragic toddler with doses of the drug to make him sleep and give them some peace.
Mark Bate, 33, and his partner Gemma Fennelly, 23, are standing trial at Teesside Crown Court charged with the manslaughter of their son Mitchell Bate last September.
The jury heard that the baby had ingested methadone on a regular basis and it was alleged that the parents had given the drug to the child. Traces of heroin and cocaine were also found in hair samples taken from the youngster after his death.
Both Bate and Fennelly of Hartlepool have denied manslaughter.
Andrew Robertson QC, prosecuting, told the court today that both parents were receiving prescription drugs in an attempt to reduce their heroin dependency.
Mr Robertson said: "For five months before he died, Mitchell must have repeatedly been ingesting methadone and in not insignificant amounts. The sad truth is that there can be only one possible explanation."
Bate and Fennelly, of Rodney Street, Hartlepool, face joint charges of manslaughter and individual charges of causing or allowing the death of a child.
The couple also face alternative charges of manslaughter by an unlawful act, namely administering a dose of methadone, or manslaughter by gross negligence by allowing a child access to a fatal dose of methadone.
The hearing is expected to last until the end of next week.
