A north-east mum has gone on trial accused of causing the death of her 13-week-old son after party drugs were found in his bloodstream and baby formula.
Amy Beck is facing charges that she exposed her child, Olly-James, to the illegal drugs M-cat and MDMA, which resulted in him ingesting them.
The 32-year-old is also accused of wilfully neglecting two other children who were also found with drugs in their bloodstream, including Mephedrone (M-cat), MDMA and cocaine.
Beck additionally faces one charge of dealing M-cat and further charge of having cocaine in her possession.
Beck denies all the charges against her.
The jury at the High Court in Aberdeen was told Olly-James was rushed by air ambulance from Sandhaven, near Fraserburgh, to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary when he was discovered unresponsive three days before Christmas in 2019.
He died later that day.
Baby became very sick
On the opening day of the trial, Beck’s former friend Olivia Guntrip, 22, told the jury that Beck had been dealing M-cat for “as long as she had known her”.
Guntrip said she had been partying with Beck in the early hours of December 21 and into December 22 2019 before the pair went back to Beck’s home in Sandhaven.
She described the horrific moment the child’s father discovered Olly-James was very sick.
“I had never seen a baby look like that in my life,” Ms Guntrip said.
“He was quite peaky and upset – he seemed plastic.
“He was unwell. He really wasn’t well.”
She told advocate depute Erin Campbell that she called 999 and then instructed the baby’s dad how to give his son CPR.
Olly-James was then rushed to ARI by air ambulance, where he died later that day.
Crying on the witness stand, Ms Guntrip also told the advocate depute that, following the death of Olly-James, Beck had instructed her to lie to police about where she had been that night.
“You said Amy had told you to lie to the police, when was that?” Ms Campbell asked.
“After Olly had died,” Ms Guntrip replied.
Ms Campbell also showed Ms Guntrip a series of messages where she and Beck discussed buying and taking drugs hours before her son became unwell.
“Did Amy Beck sell M-cat?” the advocate depute asked Guntrip.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Who would she sell it to?” Ms Campbell pressed.
“A lot of people,” Ms Guntrip said.
Ms Campbell then enquired how long Beck had been selling M-cat.
“As long as I have known her – a few years at least,” Ms Gunship replied.
Brother never saw drugs around Amy Beck’s house
Ms Campbell also quizzed Beck’s younger 19-year-old brother Zak – who was then 14 – about M-cat being found in Olly-James’ system during the post-mortem examination and then within the baby formula.
She asked him if he ever saw the Class B drug lying around the house, being used by his sister or anyone else within that address.
“No,” he replied.
The trial, before Judge Fiona Tait, continues.
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