Mum, 35, guilty of child cruelty after pouring liquid morphine into beer drunk by her son, 15, which led to his death

A MONSTER mum faces jail after pouring liquid morphine into her 15-year-old’s son beer in a dangerous drug binge before he died in his sleep.

Twisted mum-of-five Holly Strawbridge, 35, shared powerful painkillers with son Tyler Peck and his pal in her kitchen in February, a jury decided.

She poured liquid morphine into their beer and gave them strips of Gabapentin – a drug used to treat seizures – in Salcombe, Devon.

Strawbridge gave the two 15-year-olds spirits and they sniffed aerosols together, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

Tyler, who had a history of drink and drug abuse, died in his sleep.

His cause of death was recorded as an overdose of morphine and Gabapentin, but he also had Valium and codeine in his system – all of which had been prescribed to Strawbridge.

Her husband Gavin and her four younger children were asleep upstairs as the tragedy unfolded.

The warped mother had denied two counts of supplying the boys with a Class A drug.

She had also pleaded not guilty to two counts of cruelty relating to sharing the drugs and alcohol with the teenagers.

But a jury of eight women and four men found her guilty of all counts by unanimous verdicts after near seven hours deliberation.

Judge Paul Darlow adjourned sentencing until January 17 but remanded her into custody until a bail application at 2pm on Friday.

He has also ordered a pre-sentence report but warned custody was inevitable.

Strawbridge wept as she was taken away in handcuffs after being found guilty of all charges.

The trial, which spread over nine days, was held up after the defendant’s own mother died unexpectedly.

Strawbridge, who has worked in a charity shop, claimed that she put her son to bed unaware he had taken her powerful medication.

She denied giving either of the boys anything other than beer as Friday night turned to Saturday morning.

Strawbridge also claimed that Tyler’s friends were making up stories about her supplying them with drugs over the previous two years.

She claimed that Tyler’s father had offered them money to tell lies about her.

The court heard that her son had started smoking at the age of nine, using cannabis aged 12 before moving on to hard drugs when he was 13 or 14.

He had mostly grown up with his father and stepmother, but had been allowed to live with his mother for the last four months of his life – despite concerns of his mental health worker and social workers.