Ten-week-old Darcy Mains tragically died after being exposed to and ingesting cocaine as traces were found on baby bottles, a court has heard.
Shareen Mains has been pictured outside of Greenock Sheriff Court after being found guilty of causing harm to her now deceased baby girl by exposing her to cocaine and causing her to ingest the class A drug.
At the court, a jury of 15 unanimously found Shareen Mains guilty of all four charges in a case described as both “tragic and difficult”.
The 36-year-old was found to have caused unnecessary suffering or injury to the health of her 10-week-old daughter, Darcy, by exposing her to controlled drugs, namely cocaine, where she ingested the substance.
During the five day trial, the jury heard the devastating events that unfolded on September 8, 2019, when the baby was found “lifeless” in her home in Broadstone Road, Port Glasgow, by her mum.
Shareen was also convicted of possessing cannabis and phenazepam, a powerful benzodiazepine.
Procurator Fiscal Depute Kirsten Brierley said: “We were told from the first witness, a paramedic, that the mum had said that she had got up around 4am to feed the baby and went back to sleep.
“But she awoke to find the baby was not breathing and unresponsive.
“A next door neighbour, who was a nurse, heard shouts of help at around 10.20am.
“She came in to help but in her experience the baby had the appearance that she was either already dead or close to the end of life.
“The baby was lifeless but the witness told the court she gave CPR and called an ambulance.”
Baby Darcy was pronounced dead at Inverclyde Royal Hospital shortly after arriving.
The forensic examination from the flat they lived in found five baby bottles which were sent for further checks. Four of these tested positive for cocaine.
Officials had found 0.003 milligrams of the substance in Darcy’s system.
Ms Brierley added: “This is consistent to being exposed to cocaine but there is no way of telling what were the peak levels.”
Mains was bailed by Sheriff Anthony McGeehan and will be sentenced next month.
