Laura Heath
Laura Heath is a British woman convicted of manslaughter for allowing her son to die of an asthma attack while she took cocaine and heroin.
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Biography edit
Heath and her son Hakeem Hussain lived on Cook Street in Birmingham, England. Hakeem's father was in prison for drug offences. Heath was addicted to cocaine, cannabis and heroin, taking £55 worth of drugs every day. Hakeem was diagnosed with asthma, but was still regularly exposed to poisonous fumes thanks to Heath's drug smoking. Heath turned to prostitution to support her drug habit and would have sex with multiple men each night. She eventually moved with Hakeem to the home of an acquaintance named Timothy Busk after her gas and water were cut off (she was unable to pay the bills because she spent all her money on drugs).
On 23 November 2017, social services held a meeting on the possibility of removing Hakeem from Heath's care after school nurse Melanie Richards and social worker Neelam Ahmed raised their concerns that Hakeem was not safe under Heath's care. The meeting voted to remove Hakeem; however, action was deferred until 26 November. On that day, Hakeem was found dead outside the house from an asthma attack.
An investigation was launched into Hakeem's death due to evidence that he had been exposed to drug fumes in the days leading up to his death. Both Heath's home and Busk's home were searched, with drug paraphernalia being discovered in both. Hakeem's inhaler was also found; Heath had confiscated it and rigged it up as a crack pipe. It was established that Heath had often smoked drugs while Hakeem was in the room despite knowing he had asthma, which had been further exacerbated by the unhygienic conditions of both Heath's and Busk's houses. Police discovered that Heath had not given Hakeem anti-asthma medication in the days leading up to his death despite the fact that he had been hospitalized for asthma attacks multiple times. Heath claimed not to have access to a spacer device that could be used to administer the medication, but parts of one were found in her home; she had not even bothered assembling it.
Heath was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter and child abuse. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 28 April 2022.
References edit
- Drug addict mother Laura Heath jailed for manslaughter after son Hakeem Hussain suffered fatal asthma attack, Sky News
- Woman sentenced to 20 years in prison over death of asthmatic son, The Guardian
- Hakeem Hussain: Drug addict Laura Heath found guilty of manslaughter after son dies of asthma attack, Sky News