Parents of girl killed by methadone kept in Tom & Jerry child's cup jailed for eight years

The court also heard that while Sophie was in hospital, King sent text messages to Jones about hiding the methadone stored in the Tom and Jerry cup.

Detective Inspector Andy Cribbin of Lancashire Constabulary's Force Major Investigation Team, said: "Storing methadone in a child's drinking cup is akin to leaving a loaded firearm in the reach of a child; the outcome was almost inevitable.

"I would like to thank the members of the local community who came forward as witnesses during the investigation. 

"Their evidence enabled us to piece together the actions of both defendants leading up to Sophie's death and provided a disturbing insight into their drug use."

Wendy Lloyd, senior Crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) North West, said that the parents showed "utter disregard" for Sophie's safety by leaving her unsupervised with the cup that they were "well aware" contained methadone.

The CPS confirmed that King was sentenced to six years and four months for manslaughter and one year and eight months for child cruelty.

Jones was sentenced to six years for manslaughter and two years for child cruelty.

Sophie Jones, from Blackpool, Lancashire, was taken to hospital after she ingested the drug substitute on March 4, but later died.

Her father, Barry Jones, 41, was found guilty last month at Preston Crown Court of manslaughter and child cruelty.

Sophie's mother, Michelle King, 29, also of Jameson Street, admitted the same charges at an earlier hearing.

Preston Crown Court heard that that King was selling methadone to other drug users and using the money to buy heroin and cocaine.

Sophie had been brought up in a "dirty and disorganised" house where her father smoked heroin in front of her, and traces of cocaine and heroin were found on two out of three dummies in the house.

When samples were taken from the child's hair, they were found to contain traces of heroin, methadone, cocaine and diazepam, which she had ingested over a period of several months.

Sentencing, Judge Susan Carr said: "This was a household where you put your drug habits first, and your child's health and safety second.

"I accept that you both loved your child but you loved your drugs more."

Addressing Michelle King, Judge Carr continued: "Sophie died after drinking your methadone from a Tom and Jerry beaker which, astonishingly, it was your habit to decant your prescribed methadone into.

"This fact is made all he more incredible in light of the evidence that another identical Tom and Jerry beaker, used by Sophie at night in your communal bedroom, was Sophie's favourite beaker."

The court heard that Jones pretended to Sophie's grandmother, who had told the couple to call an ambulance after noticing that Sophie was "groggy", that he had taken the child to a walk-in centre.

Judge Carr said: "You told the lie as part of the pretence that matters were better than they were at home. 

"What precisely happened only you both can know. In the early afternoon, Michelle King, you had sold some methadone to a regular customer.

"Before any ambulance was called, you went about laying a trail, to the effect that Sophie might have drunk some cider brought to the house earlier.

"In the final hour before you called the ambulance, you cleared the house of rubbish and evidence that you did not want the authorities to find, throwing waste into wheelie bins including soiled nappies, a yellow fruit shoot bottle with traces of methadone and drug paraphernalia.

"Sophie died because of the criminal carelessness and neglect of both of you. By the time you did call an ambulance at 11.40pm, it was too late to save her."

The court also heard that while Sophie was in hospital, King sent text messages to Jones about hiding the methadone stored in the Tom and Jerry cup.

Detective Inspector Andy Cribbin of Lancashire Constabulary's Force Major Investigation Team, said: "Storing methadone in a child's drinking cup is akin to leaving a loaded firearm in the reach of a child; the outcome was almost inevitable.

"I would like to thank the members of the local community who came forward as witnesses during the investigation. 

"Their evidence enabled us to piece together the actions of both defendants leading up to Sophie's death and provided a disturbing insight into their drug use."

Wendy Lloyd, senior Crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) North West, said that the parents showed "utter disregard" for Sophie's safety by leaving her unsupervised with the cup that they were "well aware" contained methadone.

The CPS confirmed that King was sentenced to six years and four months for manslaughter and one year and eight months for child cruelty.

Jones was sentenced to six years for manslaughter and two years for child cruelty.