Cornwall mother jailed for daughter salt poisoning
BBCA mother who deliberately poisoned her 18-month-old daughter with more than a tablespoon of salt has been jailed for four years.
The woman, from St Austell, Cornwall, gave her toddler between 21 and 24 grams of salt on 26 April 2016.
The child survived after treatment at two hospitals.
The 29-year-old was found guilty of administering a poison or noxious substance to endanger life at Truro Crown Court in March.
During the trial, the jury heard how the mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, phoned her GP surgery for help and messaged her mother and friends as the toddler was repeatedly sick, grew sleepy and developed white lips.
The girl's grandmother called 111 and paramedics were sent to the home before an air ambulance took the child to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
She was later transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
Initially, medics believed the girl had sepsis, but blood tests revealed high salt levels.
The prosecution told the court that a medical expert determined the child had ingested between 21g and 24g of table salt on the afternoon of 26 April. A tablespoon holds about 17g of salt.
The jury heard the mother had looked up the amount of salt it was safe for a toddler to eat the day before but had not mentioned any concern over salt intake when talking to her GP or any other medical staff.
