Dead baby found with traces of cocaine and cannabis in body | UK News

A six-month-old baby died at home with traces of cocaine and cannabis in her blood.

Evelynn Simmons-Avery was found unresponsive in her cot in Newton Abbot, Devon, on July 7 2019, Plymouth Coroner’s Court heard.

Her dad, Darryl Avery, told Evelynn’s mum, Charlotte Simmons, to leave the flat the day before because the pair had an argument.

Avery was in sole custody of Evelynn and their other child, Devon Live reports.

Charlotte tried to contact Avery throughout the day because Evelynn was being breastfed but he did not answer.

Avery was involved in a car crash with both children in the car on the same day but Evelynn did not suffer serious injuries.

He admitted in court that Evelynn’s car seat was not properly fitted.

He returned home at 10.30pm put the other child to bed and put Evelynn in a cot beside him and she woke up for a feed at 3am before she was put back to sleep.

She was found unconscious and not breathing in her cot when Avery went to check on her at 8am.

He performed CPR until paramedics and the air ambulance arrived but she was unable to be revived.

Avery was arrested at Torbay Hospital after cannabis was found at his home which he used but not in front of his children.

He had been dealing cannabis and officers found a broken taser disguised as an iPhone.

He denied being a regular cocaine user and did not know how Evelynn got the drug in her body.

Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Deborah Cook said during the hearing: ‘With Evelynn, it seems most likely that she has taken on board the metabolites of cocaine and cannabis through indigestion in breastmilk but as we have had information she was breastfed by a number of women, it is not possible to confirm the identity of the source of that.’

She said ‘levels of both substances were very low’ and toxicologists indicated that it is ‘unlikely to have directly contributed to her death’.

Dr Cook added: ‘We can’t say what exposure, other than what was present at the time of death.

‘After an extensive post-mortem with multiple additional tests, although there were some findings that don’t fit entirely within the normal range, none of them evidence a definite explanation for Eveylnn’s death.

‘There is also the term sudden unexpected death in infancy and that encompasses far wider range deaths but we don’t register deaths as that. The medical reason why Eveylnn died in this case remains unascertained.

‘There is no suggestion that trauma was a role in this death whatsoever and the road traffic collision did not cause any injuries that have subsequently led to her death and nor did anyone harm Evelynn resulting in her death.’

She said no ‘concrete’ medical reason’ could explain why Evelynn died at that time, which was common in the ‘vast majority’ of such cases.

Recording an open conclusion Coroner Philip Spinney said: ‘Mr Avery was [sentenced] for two counts of child cruelty, but in light of the evidence of Dr Cook, none of these can be said to have caused or contributed to Eveylnn’s death.’

Avery was jailed for three years in April 2023 after admitting child cruelty, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, possession of a prohibited weapon and an unrelated charge of affray.

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