Mother's jail sentence reduced after son's drug-related death

A mother who was jailed for seven years for exposing her baby son to narcotics resulting in his death has had her sentence cut on appeal.

Amy Beck, 32, was convicted of exposing three-month-old Olly-James Sievewright to mephedrone - also known as M-Cat - and MDMA, commonly called ecstasy.

He died in December 2019 as a result of ingesting drugs and the effects of a peritonitis infection.

Appearing at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh, Beck's sentence was cut from seven years to four years.

Delivering the court's judgement, judge Lord Matthews said: "We have come to the conclusion, in all the circumstances, it can properly be said the sentence was excessive."

Beck, from Fraserburgh, was earlier found guilty at the High Court in Aberdeen of exposing Ollie to illicit substances between September 2019 and his death three months later at an address in St Magnus Road in Sandhaven.

She was also convicted of being involved in the supply of the Class B drug mephedrone over a period of almost three years and further charges of exposing children to drugs.

Appeal judges Lord Malcolm and Lord Matthews said the sentencing exercise in the case was "a very difficult one" and although Beck was involved in drug supply for almost three years she did not intend to harm children or that her infant son should die.

It was said it was clearly a tragic case which showed that the abuse of controlled drugs could have consequences far beyond those that were obvious.

The trial heard that her former home in Sandhaven was "polluted" by drugs.

Defence counsel David Moggach argued that the sentence imposed on Beck was excessive and maintained that the trial judge had erred in assessing her level of culpability.

He said it was not part of the prosecution case that Beck had deliberately intended to cause harm to children.

The defence counsel said her drug dealing was sporadic and low level, although it had occurred over a period of time.