Northwich parents sentenced after baby had cocaine in system
The 12-week-old was taken to hospital after becoming unresponsive
Last updated 24th Jul 2026
The parents of a 12-week-old baby who was found to have cocaine in their system have been sentenced.
Ella Jones, 28, of Hesketh Drive, Northwich, and Kevin Fields, 29, of Mill Street, Crewe, both admitted causing ill treatment/neglect to a child.
Chester Crown Court heard the baby was taken to Leighton Hospital on 27 May 2025 after becoming unresponsive.
Doctors later found traces of cocaine in the baby's system, believing it to have been ingested.
The court heard the baby had suffered a similar episode three days earlier, but Jones and Fields didn't go to hospital as the baby 'later came round'.
Hospital staff raised concerns that the pair seemed to be under the influence of drugs and weren't concerned over the baby's condition.
They also left the hospital as soon as the baby had been admitted on to a ward, and told staff they would "probably be asleep" if they needed to be contacted.
When questioned by police, both admitted taking cocaine in the baby's presence but couldn't explain how the cocaine came to be in the baby’s system.
Police also found messages on Fields' phone showing he had arranged for cocaine to be delivered the day before the baby's second collapse.
Sentences
Fields has been jailed for two years.
Jones has been given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.
She was also handed 25 rehabilitation activity days, a 12-month mental health treatment requirement order, and 150 unpaid work hours.
Sergeant Ann Muldowney said: "It is a miracle that Fields and Jones' utterly deplorable and reckless actions didn't result in a fatality when a child came to ingest the substance.
“These two squandered the great responsibility that comes with looking after a child."