Methadone in tot's blood would have killed an adult

Methadone in tot's blood would have killed an adult
Methadone dose could have killed adult, court hears

Pathologist gives evidence in child's death

The amount of methadone in the blood of a toddler who overdosed on the drug would have been lethal to an adult, a forensic pathologist testified Tuesday.

But an autopsy also revealed 16-month-old Summer Hope had been taken care of before she died.

"At the time . . . she appeared well cared for," Dr. Craig Litwin told the court via video from Vancouver.

Litwin performed the autopsy on the girl on May 1, 2006 -- the day after she was discovered dead in a southwest fourplex.

Her parents, Jonathan Hope and Lisa Guerin (also known as Lisa Hope) are charged with manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death and failure to provide the necessities of life in connection with the little girl's death.

Summer died of methadone toxicity.

The synthetic opiate is primarily used in addiction treatment, but also has painkilling properties.

Those prescribed to take the drug acquire a tolerance, but even small amounts can be toxic to people who have never taken it or other opiates.

Litwin told the court methadone affects breathing and heart rate, with both slowing or growing irregular when too much of the drug is taken.

Summer had 0.42 milligrams of methadone per litre of blood -- an amount Litwin said would be lethal in an adult.

"The amount of methadone detected in her system was very high," he said.

He was unable to say how much methadone Summer consumed nor how long after ingesting the drug she would have started to show signs of overdose.

Litwin echoed testimony given Monday by a forensic toxicologist who said there is a quick and readily available antidote that may have saved the little girl if treatment had been sought.

The pathologist said other than a few minor scrapes and healing bruises, the only other thing he noted in his autopsy report was a series of linear "dry, yellow lesions" on Summer's chest, consistent with an electrical type of burn.

"The presence of the injuries . . . suggest (an) electrical current was applied to and passed through her body," Litwin said.

Under cross-examination from Hope's defence lawyer, Joan Blumer, Litwin agreed he could not confirm if those marks were definitively electrical burns.

Court heard earlier that Hope used bare live wires from a lamp to try to restart his daughter's heart after CPR failed to revive her.

Meanwhile, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Earl Wilson ruled comments made by Hope to paramedics and firefighters responding to a 911 call about Summer on the day she died were voluntary.

Blumer had argued there was an appearance of authority coming from the two firefighters and three paramedics who attended Hope's home on April 30 and were questioning him about what happened, even though the answers would not help the toddler.

Wilson ruled that the paramedics and firefighters had a "genuine" interest in finding out what happened and were not asking questions as agents for police. However, Wilson said an interview between Hope and members of the Child at Risk Response Team -- a police officer and a social worker -- at a police station on the same day Summer died is not admissible because the Crown could not show how Hope got to the interview and therefore could not prove it was voluntary.

Wilson also ruled Guerin's comments made in a Nanaimo courtroom after she was arrested on a warrant last June are admissible.

During a brief appearance, Guerin told the judge in Nanaimo, "It's been four years. I'm sick and tired of it. I just want to plead guilty and get it over with."

This comment was similar to one she made earlier that day in the back of an RCMP cruiser.

Whether her comments were related to the manslaughter charge or other outstanding warrants that had been issued is unclear, Guerin's lawyer, Adriano Iovinelli, said.