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A 15-year-old boy died after being given drugs and alcohol by his mother, a court has heard.
Holly Strawbridge gave her son, Tyler Peck, and his teenage friend prescription drugs at her Devon house on 1 February, prosecutors have claimed.
Tyler died in his sleep from an overdose and was discovered by friends the following day, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
The court was told Tyler had also taken MDMA that night.
Ms Strawbridge, 34, has pleaded not guilty to supplying morphine and child cruelty .
Show all 10 1 /10World's 10 deadliest street drugs World's 10 deadliest street drugs Whoonga Whoonga is a combination of antiretroviral drugs, used to treat HIV, and various cutting agents such as detergents and poisons. The drug is widely available in South Africa due to South Africa’s high rate of HIV sufferers, and is believed to be popular due to how cheap it is when compared to prescribed antiretrovirals. The drug is highly addictive and can cause major health issues such as internal bleeding, stomach ulcers and ultimately death
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World's 10 deadliest street drugs Crystal meth Not just famous because of a certain Walter H White, but also because it is one of the most destructive drugs in the world. First developed in 1887, it became widely used during the Second World War when both sides would give it to their troops to keep them awake. It is also believed that the Japanese gave it to their Kamikaze pilots before their suicide missions. After the war crystal meth was prescribed as a diet aid and remained legal until the 1970s. Since then it has fallen into the hands of Mexican gangs and has become a worldwide phenomenon, spreading throughout Europe and Asia. The effects of crystal meth are devastating. In the short-term users will become sleep depraved and anxious, and in the long-term it will cause their flesh to sink, as well as brain damage and damage of the blood vessels
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World's 10 deadliest street drugs Purple Drank One of the more unusual drugs around at the moment, purple drank was popularised in 90s hip hop culture, with the likes of Jay Z and Big Moe all mentioning it in their songs. It is a concoction of soda water, sweets and cold medicine, and is drunk due to cold medicines high codeine content, which gives the user a woozy feeling. However it can also cause respiratory issues and heart failure
World's 10 deadliest street drugs Krokodil Krokodil is Russia’s secret addiction. It is believed that over one million Russians are addicted to the drug. Users of krokodil are attracted to the drug due to its low price; it is sold at £20 a gram while heroin is sold for £60. However, krokodil is considered more dangerous than heroin because it is often homemade, with ingredients including painkillers, iodine, lighter fluid and industrial cleaning agents. This chemical make-up makes the drug highly dangerous and likely to cause gangrene, and eventually rotting of the flesh
Peter Coombe, the prosecution lawyer, said Ms Strawbridge was with the two boys in the kitchen of her home in Salcombe, southwest England, “drinking alcohol, inhaling aerosol fumes and taking a cocktail of drugs including two particular dangerous drugs”.
He told the court she gave them the prescription drugs Oramorph, which contains morphine, and Gabapentin.
Mr Coombe claimed they drank beer and peach schnapps together after the boys returned from a spending Friday night at a nearby holiday home.
“This is a sad and tragic case involving the completely avoidable death of a young person,” he said.
“What makes it a very unusual case is that the person who supplied him with the drugs that he took was his mother.”
The court heard how friends told the police the house was “a good place to get hammered”.
Prosecution claimed Ms Strawbridge believed drugs and alcohol could help her son deal with his problems.
Plymouth Crown Court heard the defendant denied supplying the boys with drugs in a police interview.
The trial is ongoing and is expected to last five to seven working days.
Additional reporting by agencies
