Man Googled 'How To Poison Newborn' Before Spiking Infant's Milk With Lethal Drug; Arrested

A man who attempted to poison a newborn baby after searching the internet for ways to poison an infant was sentenced to over 25 years in prison on Monday.

The accused, Jamar Bailey, 21, ran internet searches for poisoning and killing a child before lacing the three-week-old girl's milk with poison, Birmingham Mail reported. As a result, the little tot had to be rushed to the Birmingham Children's Hospital where she was placed in the intensive care unit. Thankfully, the baby made a full recovery from her ordeal.

The incident took place on June 27. The victim's mother sensed something amiss after the little girl's cries seemed different than usual.

"The baby woke crying. Her cries seemed different so her mother called 111. The next day, June 27, she was fed for a short time. When she next woke she was not latching onto the breast and her arms just dropped back," William Boyce QC, prosecuting attorney, said during Bailey's sentencing. "111 called an ambulance immediately. She was extremely unwell, hypothermic and unresponsive to stimulus. The initial investigation was around possible infection. She was unstable and transferred to the paediatric ICU. She was ventilated she received treatment for raised ammonia levels. Her mother was always present at hospital."

It was revealed through a subsequent urine test that the baby had been given sodium valporate – a drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It could have been potentially fatal to the newborn. A toxicology report determined the drug's presence in her milk bottle. Detectives searched Bailey's phone and found his search history to contain phrases like "how to poison a baby" and "how to kill a newborn baby," The Birmingham Mail reported.

Police found Bailey was taking medication for seizures and found a prescription drug containing sodium valporate in his name, according to a report by BBC.

Staff at the hospital where the child was treated told cops the drug couldn't have been ingested accidentally and the baby could have gone into a coma, suffered liver damage and low blood pressure. Detective Sgt Kirsty Wilson said the baby was "lucky to be alive," per the BBC report.

Whether or not there are lasting effects from the drug in the baby's body will only be known when she grows up, the Birmingham Mail reported.

Bailey had previously pleaded guilty to an attempted murder charge and that of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class B.

"He has an inability to express himself. He has only been able to give a confused account of what was behind his actions. His actions speak louder than words. In his guilty plea, he acknowledges his guilt with full intent. He admits not just the act but the intent that is a huge step for a young man to make - for that can infer a degree of insight and remorse. There is no mitigation in terms of the offence other than he was clearly overwhelmed with the situation. He has a significant long-term medical condition which he does not appear to have managed well," John O'Higgins, defending attorney, said in court, according to the Birmingham Mail.

It wasn't clear how Bailey was related to the baby.

Along with being arrested, the suspect has been barred from ever working with children or vulnerable adults.