A woman has appeared in court after a three-year-old boy was mauled by a pet ferret after she passed out in a drug and alcohol-fuelled sleep.
Natasha Beattie, 33, had put the child to bed before consuming two bottles of blue WKD and more than double her prescribed dose of Quetiapine.
She fell into a deep sleep but awoke hours later to the screams of the toddler, who was covered in blood, bites and scratches, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
The boy had more than 200 individual injuries, including 50 bite and puncture wounds that have left him permanently scarred.
Fiscal depute Jennifer Pritchard said the incident happened at an address in Aberdeen in January last year.
Beattie hung up on NHS24 call centre
She said the ferret, belonging to Beattie’s then-partner, was usually allowed to roam freely in the property but was shut in a bedroom if a child was present.
After putting the boy to bed, Beattie “consumed alcohol and 200mg of Quetiapine – over
two times her prescribed dose”.
Ms Pritchard continued: “She fell asleep in the living room with her partner whilst watching television.
“About 4.30am, the accused was woken to the sounds of the child running along the hallway, crying.
“On opening the door, she found him covered in blood, with blood on his face, hands, feet and pyjamas and he was crying hysterically.”
Checking the child over, she saw bite marks and scratches to his face, arms, hands and feet and realised he’d been bitten by the ferret.
She also saw “deep pierced bite marks” on his left arm.
Beattie then sent a number of videos of the injuries to her father, who immediately told her to call for an ambulance.
‘In excess of 200 individual injuries’
Beattie ignored his advice, instead phoning NHS24 and, when they advised her to get the child to hospital immediately, she hung up.
Ms Pritchard said: “NHS24 made repeated attempts to contact Beattie without success, and so they contacted the police, who advised them to send an ambulance to the address.”
Around 5am, paramedics were sent to the address and were met by Beattie and the boy, who were dressed to leave.
On being examined, the paramedics found “significant bite and scratch marks to his face, including near to both eyes, both arms, both hands and both of his feet”.
During the examination, the court was told, the boy suddenly gave one of the paramedics a hug and refused to let go. She had to carry him to the ambulance.
En route to the hospital, Beattie was noted to have slurred speech, to be struggling to stay awake and her eyes were “rolling in the back of her head”.
Asked if she was okay, Beattie said she had taken her night-time medication.
Ferret bit child in eye
While at the children’s hospital, Beattie fell asleep in a bed and medical staff found her “difficult to rouse”.
An examination by doctors found the child to have “in excess of 200 individual injuries to his face, neck, back, arms, hands, legs and feet”.
Ms Pritchard said: “Of particular concern were the bites and puncture wounds to his left eye and left inner forearm.
“His left inner forearm was assessed to have approximately 25 puncture wounds, which appeared to be infected.
“He was referred to the ophthalmology in relation to the injury to his left eye.”
The child underwent surgery in which each individual bite and puncture wound had to be opened and cleaned. This left permanent scarring and he had to stay in hospital for five days.
Sentence deferred
In her initial police statement, Beattie said she’d drank two bottles of blue WKD and had 200mg of Quetiapine, which she claimed was her prescribed dose. However, checks revealed the prescribed dose was in fact 75mg.
She also admitted she knew it was not recommended to consume alcohol along with the medication as it could increase the sedative effect.
Beattie, of Bruce House, Aberdeen, pled guilty to wilfully exposing the child in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health.
Sheriff Andrew Miller deferred sentence until next month for reports.
Defence agent Graham Morrison reserved mitigation until the sentencing hearing.
It is not known whether the ferret was put down after the attack.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
