An Aberdeen dad has admitted child neglect after his baby daughter was rushed to hospital unresponsive and police found traces of cocaine on her dummy.
Shaun O’Driscoll, 29, specifically asked if he could look after two-month-old Bella at his flat in Aberdeen but while she was there she became unresponsive and had to be taken to hospital.
Ambulance crews notified police of the incident and officers arrived to find O’Driscoll’s flat littered with tens of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine and cannabis.
Tragically, Bella has now passed away although it was not stated in court when that happened. O’Driscoll also did not face a charge of causing the child’s death.
Two baby’s dummies were seized and forensically examined and found to have traces of cannabis on them. One also showed traces of cocaine.
Fiscal depute David Ballock told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that on April 26 last year, O’Driscoll texted his ex-partner advising that he wished to look after Bella for the evening.
O’Driscoll picked Bella up around 5pm and the woman provided him with the various necessary provisions such as nappies and food.
O’Driscoll later texted his former partner to advise Bella was “dosing off”.
But at 3.46am the following morning, the police received a call from the Scottish Ambulance Service advising O’Driscoll had reported Bella being found unresponsive.
Drugs worth £55,000 found at Aberdeen dad’s flat
Officers attended at the address on Rosehill Drive just four minutes later and various quantities of drugs were throughout the property.
A “large amount of green herbal substance” was discovered in a hall cupboard.
In the kitchen and living room they found “various drug paraphernalia” as well as a “large knife” lying on the floor.
The flat was secured and protected while officers took O’Driscoll to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where they noted a statement.
Later that day, at 12.08pm, officers returned to the flat and carried out a more thorough search.
They found:
- A large number of class jars and plastic containers of a green herbal substance in a hall cupboard.
- Four large bags of green herbal substance on the bedroom floor.
- A baby blanket and two dummies on a reclined section of the living room sofa.
- A large kitchen knife on the living room floor.
- The living room was “generally cluttered and unkempt”.
- A chest of drawers containing “a large amount of drug paraphernalia” and two baby’s bottles, one of which was within a glass of water which also contained a cigarette end.
In total, 3.3kg of cannabis was recovered, along with 434g of cannabis resin, 15 cannabis vapes and 38g of cocaine.
The cannabis had a potential maximum street value of £55,000, with a further £1,240 relating to the cannabis resin.
The cocaine had the potential to be worth up to £4,700.
Almost £16,000 in cash was also recovered from the property.
Custodial sentence ‘realistic’
O’Driscoll, now of Bronie Crescent, Pitmedden, pled guilty to wilfully exposing Bella in a manner likely to cause her unnecessary suffering or injury to health, by allowing her to be in the property with large quantities of drugs and causing her dummies to have traces of drugs on.
He also admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis.
Defence agent Alex Burn said his client was “realistic” about receiving a prison sentence but asked for his bail to be continued while background reports are obtained to “get his affairs in order”.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan deferred sentence until next month and continued O’Driscoll’s bail.
In an expletive-ridden and sexually explicit outburst as he left the court building, O’Driscoll branded the Press and Journal reporter the “scum of the Earth” for covering his case.
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