Mum killed son, 8, by poisoning his juice in 'failed murder-suicide attempt', court hears

Mum killed son, 8, by poisoning his juice in 'failed murder-suicide attempt', court hears WARNING: DISTRESSING DETAILS - Louise Cameron, 41, fed her eight-year-old son blackcurrant juice laced with morphine before family members found the youngster dead at his home in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham A mum killed her eight-year-old son by giving him blackcurrant juice laced with morphine - then attempted to take her own life, a court has heard. Concerned family members found a "groggy" Louise Cameron at her home in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, last September, with her son, Rhys, next to her. Tragically, relatives quickly realised the youngster, who had learning difficulties and issues with his mobility, was deceased. Paramedics attended the scene and said it was "obvious" Rhys had been dead "for some time". Cameron, who had taken a drugs overdose, had written a note saying she was going to kill herself but was "not dying without" her son. The 41-year-old was described by relatives as being "groggy" while "stroking her son's face and staring off into space". She was taken to hospital where she told police she had intended to take her own life but "did not want to leave [Rhys] behind". The mum later said she was "getting done for murder" and asked "I've just murdered Rhys haven't I?", the court was told. Cameron has been charged with murder but was found unfit to stand trial, with jurors set to determine if she carried out the acts alleged. On September 13 last year, Cameron and Rhys visited a local Wetherspoon pub with family members, Teesside Crown Court heard. Prosecutor David Lamb KC, recounting what relatives told police, said: "They got home at 7pm and Louise Cameron kept giving Rhys a blackcurrant juice to drink. She did this every 10 minutes out of a pink bottle with a Hello Kitty design on it. "She would prepare this drink in the kitchen whilst Rhys was in the front room, and she was telling Rhys to drink it even though he was not asking for it. "Louise Cameron gave Rhys this drink about five or six times and she kept refilling it. Rhys was telling his mother that he did not want it and that it did not taste good and he pushed it away. "The prosecution's case is that it was at this point that Louise Cameron was poisoning her son with methadone and morphine." Cameron's sister, Donna Oliphant, grew concerned about her sister and visited her home at around 10am on September 15. She and her mother said they wanted to check on Cameron and her children ahead of an appointment with social services that day. The pair found Cameron partially covered and lying on the right side of her bed, the court heard. Mr Lamb added: "Rhys was laid next to her and initially Donna did not pay him any attention, instead she took hold of Louise, shaking her and hitting her around the face in an effort to rouse her. "Rhys was lying on the left side of his mother’s bed, on his back with the covers pulled over him. To Donna it looked like Rhys was asleep however she knew that he was dead. "He had white foam around his mouth. Donna’s mother was sat on the bed in obvious distress and Louise was laid next to Rhys stroking her son's face and staring off into space." A note written by Cameron was found. It read: "I'm gonna kill myself. I don't want to hurt my kids. I gave Rhys an overdose of methadone. I'm not dying without my babies." Cameron told police she poisoned Rhys because she hoped it would be a "relatively painless" way to die. She said: "I didn't want to have to stab him or drown him. I wanted us to die together. I did not want to leave him behind." The trial continues.