Hamilton mom of poisoned four-year-old handed two-and-a-half-year sentence

In the throes of addiction" Lisa Strickland made a horrible and tragic choice," knowing that by doing so she risked the life of her young son, said the judge who sentenced the 42-year-old mother Thursday.

Kane Driscoll died of hydromorphone poisoning in September 2017 after somehow ingesting his mom's pain medication - an opioid she had been prescribed in staggering amounts.

No sentence can make up for the loss of the four-year-old, Ontario Court Justice Anthony Leitch said before handing Strickland a two-and-a-half year sentence.

On Wednesday she pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death. It is a lesser included offence for manslaughter, which she was originally charged with. After credit for time served in pretrial custody she faces an additional 75 days in jail, plus three years probation.

Driscoll was found by his parents in his bed in their Hamilton Mountain home on the morning of Sept. 27, 2017. At first it was not clear how he died, but toxicology results later showed hydromorphone poisoning. Court heard it still is not clear exactly how the opioid came to be in is body, but Strickland was the only person in the house with a prescription and over time she became dependant on the drug.

In the month before Driscoll's death she told a doctor the hydromorphone made her careless." She tried to switch medication, but a week later returned for more. Between Aug. 21 and Sept. 25 she went to the same Toronto clinic eight times and was prescribed 800 tablets by two doctors.

Strickland worked as a registered practical nurse, but was on medical leave at the time. She had been diagnosed with multiple painful ailments, which at the time of her son's death included peptic ulcers.

A medical review after Driscoll's death concluded she was being prescribed at eight times the regular dose and that her medical conditions did not warrant that level of narcotics.

The four-year-old suffered from several medical conditions during his life, including a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. At the time of his death, he still has a feeding tube and was expected to need further heart surgery, but was generally healthy and happy. He had just started kindergarten.

I have no doubt she was a good mother for the majority of his short life," Leitch said, but added that doesn't erase her decision to introduce harm into his environment, taking a bright future from the boy.

Leitch remarked it was a difficult sentence; the death of a child is difficult. It was also a complex case where Strickland could have raised a number of defences, but chose to plead guilty.

At her plea, Strickland said she takes responsibility for her son's death.

I still ache for him every day, but I am definitely not the victim," she told Justice Leitch.

On Thursday he said he accepts her remorse. He believes she has a great capacity for rehabilitation, with support from her family in Newfoundland - where she will return once released - and help with her mental health and addiction.

I hope you move on to a productive life," Leitch told her.

Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com