Arrests after toddler
dies and his brothers are hospitalised after taking parents' methadone
Two men have been arrested after a two-year-old boy died after overdosing on his
parents' methadone.
West Midlands Police said the men had been freed on bail pending further
inquiries into the death of Brandon Davis, who died at Birmingham children's
hospital, last Thursday.
Brandon's two brothers, who also swallowed the heroin substitute, were in
hospital yesterday – one is seriously ill.
Detectives have refused to specify whether the arrested men are related to the
children.
A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of neglect and a 33-year-old on
suspicion of possession of a controlled drug.
It is thought the children took the drug after it was mistaken for cough
mixture.
Methadone can save lives, but it has fatal properties
Doctors fought in vain to save Brandon. His three-year-old brother Lewis is said
to be in a serious but stable condition. And three-month-old Kyle is said to be
recovering in hospital in Birmingham.
The boys' parents are also understood to have been arrested by West Midlands
Police.
Lewis and Kyle are under the care of Birmingham Social Services.
A hospital worker said: "Everyone is so moved and upset for these children.
"They have been under 24-hour guard by police since they came but we have since
learned that their parents were well known to social services before this
tragedy.
"A lot of people are asking how this has happened.
"It's terrible to think that these boys have had such a desperate start in life.
"I want to tell the world because it should never have happened at all if social
services had done their job properly in the first place."
Methadone mimics the effects of heroin but it is less addictive and is widely
used by addicts who are trying to combat their habit.
Like heroin, it produces feelings of euphoria and sedation. It is usually
provided to addicts under the supervision of a pharmacist.
The drug comes in a green, liquid form. When taken in large doses it produces
dangerous side-effects which can make the user vomit and struggle for breath.
A spokesman for Birmingham Children's Hospital confirmed that doctors were
treating Lewis and Kyle.
