Bidwill overdose mum: Woman avoids jail

A toddler overdosed on prescription drugs twice in one year after her mum left her unsupervised. She was discovered slumped and semiconscious after ingesting dozens of ADHD pills.

The Bidwill mother-of-three faces Mt Druitt Local Court at an earlier appearance. Picture: Kate Lockley

A western Sydney mother whose young toddlers were lucky to survive after overdosing on prescription medication had been put on notice for a similar overdose less than a year prior, it can be revealed.

The mother-of-three narrowly avoided jail when she was sentenced at Mt Druitt Local Court on Wednesday, admitting to two charges of failing to provide for her children and causing danger of death.

The woman, who cannot be named, exposed her two daughters, aged two and three at the time, to severe danger when they ingested almost 80 ADHD tablets between them at their Bidwill home in 2019.

The Bidwill mother pleaded guilty to failing to provide for two of her children, causing danger of death. Picture: Facebook

Police documents tendered to the court revealed the woman’s youngest daughter had overdosed on the same medication in November 2018 when she used a chair to climb into a medicine cabinet.

The woman was bathing her son at the time and had left the 16-month-old girl unsupervised when she ingested three tablets. The girl was found by her mother some time later “crying in pain”.

The girl was flown to the Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick and made a full recovery.

The incident prompted family services to implement a safety plan for the mother, which included procedures regarding the safe storage of medication.

However, less than 10 months later, the young girl and her older sister were rushed to hospital in a serious condition after ingesting the same medication.

On the afternoon of the second overdose, the woman found the girls slumped and semiconscious around the house before emergency services were called to the home.

Mt Druitt Local Court. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Police said the tablets were left on the mother’s bedside table, despite her being warned previously about the dangers.

The court heard the woman suffered from mild cognitive impairment and had difficulty remembering information, with two of the children having behavioural difficulties.

Magistrate Stephen Corry said the mother had failed in adhering to the regime set up by family services.

“The previous incident with the youngest child should have put the defendant on notice about the risk of leaving drugs lying around,” Magistrate Corry said.

“The defendant was always going to struggle to supervise these children with regard to (her cognitive impairment).”

Since the incident, family services have set up a strict safety plan, preventing the mother from having contact with her children while unsupervised, the court heard.

She was sentenced to a 16-month Intensive Corrections Order and was ordered to undertake 150 hours of community service.