83-year-old sentenced after Hatfield woman's death from morphine toxicity
Jeffrey 'Arthur' Sutton admitted offering the drug to three women
A man has been sentenced after offering morphine that led to the death of a woman from Hatfield.
27-year-old Lily Gomes died from morphine toxicity after being offered the drug by Jeffrey 'Arthur' Sutton, who is 83 and from the Cotswolds.
Sutton appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Friday 9th October, where he was sentenced to a total of 26 months in prison, suspended for two years.
He had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of offering to supply morphine to three different women, including Lily.
Lily died in hospital on 18th February 2025, four days after she fell unconscious at Sutton's home.
Sutton had called an ambulance after being unable to wake her.
Police arrested Sutton on 16th February 2025 on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.
Detective Constable Andreea Stanoiu-Diaconu, who investigated the case, said: "My thoughts are with Lily's family today, including her two young children who miss her very much.
"Lily was a vulnerable young woman who suffered from drug addiction. Arthur Sutton's actions took that opportunity away from her.
"This case should be a stark reminder of what can happen when prescription medication and controlled drugs are misused. They must never be offered to other people like Sutton chose to do."
In a statement read out in court, Lily's mother said: "I continue to feel anger when I think about how vulnerable Lily was. She was struggling with addiction and was easily influenced. I believe that vulnerability was known and exploited. That is something I find impossible to accept and impossible to forgive.
"People may see Jeffrey as an elderly and vulnerable man. However, when I think about my daughter's death, I think about the consequences of the actions that led to it…the history of morphine use, the occasions on which Lily was clearly vulnerable, and ultimately the fact that my daughter is dead.
"The greatest loss of all is Lily herself. Two children have lost their mother. Two sisters have lost their sister. I have lost my daughter. Every hope we had for a normal future together has been taken away.
"There are no words that can truly describe that loss. I live with it every day, and I will continue to live with it for the rest of my life."