Sadie Douglas acquitted of wilful neglect at Dublin court

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Sadie Douglas was acquitted of wilfully neglecting her daughter at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court; the proceedings were reported on 22 June 2022.

Judge Orla Crowe discharged Douglas from the indictment after confirming nothing else was pending against her, and told her she was free to go.

Douglas had pleaded not guilty to wilful neglect of her child leading to her death between 13 and 14 April 2016.

The trial heard that two-year-old Heidi Douglas died after ingesting methadone, with toxicology reports testing positive for the drug.

The defence said Douglas did not understand how Heidi obtained methadone and was unaware of a methadone cup in the bedroom.

Defending counsel Conor Devally SC said the child was healthy and well-nourished, and that this was not a neglected child.