A mother has been found guilty of murdering her eight-year-old son by poisoning his blackcurrant juice with drugs. Louise Cameron administered morphine to Rhys and laced his drink with methadone.
Over the weekend of September 13 and 14, Cameron left a note for her family stating she was 'not dying without him'. Teesside Crown Court heard that Cameron's sister grew worried when she could not reach her, leading her to visit the house on Monday, September 15, before a planned visit from a social worker.
Upon arrival, she discovered her sister in bed with Rhys, who was deceased. The court was told that Cameron seemed 'out of it' and may have attempted a lethal overdose after killing him.
Family Concerns
A family member informed police that Cameron had been stressed during a pub meal on Friday, when Rhys, who was autistic, 'had a meltdown'. The relative stated that Cameron had intended to discuss matters with her social worker but alleged the professional 'left early' when Rhys began crying because the television wasn't working.
At the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, Cameron confessed: 'I've just murdered Rhys. I didn't want to have to stab him or drown him or hurt him.'
Conviction and Sentencing
On Thursday morning, the jury took less than an hour to convict her. Judge Heather Williams announced that Cameron will be sentenced on Thursday, September 18.
Another Tragic Case
In a separate case, a mother who murdered her seven-week-old daughter by shattering her skull has been given a minimum jail term of over 12 years. Sarah Ngaba, who bought a lottery ticket before seeking medical help for Eliza Ngaba, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years and 154 days. The judge described the killing as 'the culmination of increasingly hostile behaviour' towards the infant.
Ngaba was convicted of murder last month. Severe injuries from violent shaking and an impact to the head in November 2019 contributed to Eliza's death from an infection in August 2022. Ngaba, formerly of Briarwood in Brookside, Telford, Shropshire, was imprisoned for 14 years for wounding in 2021 and charged with murder after Eliza's death.
The 32-year-old's murder trial at Birmingham Crown Court heard she attempted to conceal what she had done by lying to medics and police. She was captured on CCTV visiting a shop where she bought a lottery ticket before taking Eliza to hospital in a taxi on November 13, 2019.
