Man tried to kill newborn after searching 'how to poison a baby' online
A man who tried to poison a newborn baby girl by giving her prescription drugs in a milk bottle has been jailed.
Jamar Bailey, 21, searched online for “how to kill a newborn” and “how to poison a baby”, police said.
He was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday to 25-and-a-half years in prison after previously pleading guilty to attempted murder.
The three-week-old baby was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital on 27 June 2020 after becoming listless and unresponsive.
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A urine test found the infant had been given sodium valporate, a drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder, which was potentially fatal to the baby.
Police were notified of the finding by hospital staff who said it could not have been taken accidentally.
Bailey, from Augustin Grove, Winson Green, in Birmingham, was taking medication for seizures and a search of his property found a prescription drug for Epilim Chrono – which contains sodium valproate - in his name. He was arrested on suspicion of wilfully harming a child.
Officers seized several items and toxicology tests found evidence of the drug in the baby’s milk bottle.
Police also found a search history on Bailey’s mobile phone for “how to poison a baby” and “how to kill a newborn baby”.
West Midlands Police said the baby is now “thriving”, although it will not be known until she is older if there are any lasting effects.
Detective Sergeant Kirsty Wilson, from the force’s public protection unit, said: “The little girl is so lucky to be alive and we are really pleased that she is doing so well.
“Bailey’s actions were premeditated and could quite easily have resulted in her death.
“Our investigation was complex and relied on medical evidence and the support of partner agencies, so we are satisfied that justice has been done.”
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Bailey will have to serve two thirds of his sentence before being eligible to apply for parole.
The Birmingham Mail reported that Judge Roderick Henderson told Bailey: “There are two very clear victims.
“There is the baby who you attempted to kill but significant aggravating feature of this case is the other victim, her mother.
That baby was taken from her, she herself was suspected of trying to kill her own child and at a time when a mother is expecting to bond with that child, [the baby] was deprived of that. In my judgment, that other aspect, the second victim, makes it much more serious.”
