Mother killed her eight-year-old son by poisoning him with blackcurrant juice laced with morphine and methadone, court hears

By GLEN KEOGH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT and KEVIN DONALD, JOURNALIST Published: 17:40, 9 June 2026 | Updated: 17:51, 9 June 2026 A mother killed her eight-year-old son by poisoning him with blackcurrant juice laced with morphine before attempting to take her own life, a court has heard. Family members found an unconscious Louise Cameron in the bedroom of her home in Billingham, County Durham, with her son, Rhys, next to her. However it was clear the boy, who had learning difficulties and issues with his mobility, had been dead for some time. Cameron, 41, was charged with murder but was declared unfit to plead before her trial started. The judge, Mrs Justice Williams, explained to jurors that they will now be asked to establish the facts of the case and decide whether, on the balance of probabilities, Cameron caused her son’s death. Teesside Crown Court heard that on September 13 last year, Rhys was still alive and attended a local Wetherspoon pub with his mother and other relatives. Prosecutor David Lamb KC, recounting what a family member told police, said: ‘They got home at 7pm and Louise Cameron kept giving Rhys a blackcurrant juice to drink. 'She did this every 10 minutes out of a pink bottle with a Hello Kitty design on it. ‘She would prepare this drink in the kitchen whilst Rhys was in the front room, and she was telling Rhys to drink it even though he was not asking for it. Louise Cameron is facing a trial of the facts over whether she was responsible for the death of her son, Rhys, who was allegedly poisoned Cameron, 41, of Billingham, County Durham, was ruled unfit to stand trial ‘Louise Cameron gave Rhys this drink about five or six times and she kept refilling it. 'Rhys was telling his mother that he did not want it and that it did not taste good and he pushed it away. ‘The prosecution’s case is that it was at this point that Louise Cameron was poisoning her son with methadone and morphine.’ Just before 10am on Monday September 15, Cameron's sister Donna Oliphant attended their semi in the town because she'd become worried about her sister. She and her mother went to the house because they wanted to check on Cameron and her children and also be present for an appointment with social services, which was due to happen that day. Mr Lamb added: ‘They saw Louise dressed in pyjamas laid on the right side of the bed partially covered. ‘Rhys was laid next to her and initially Donna did not pay him any attention, instead she took hold of Louise, shaking her and hitting her around the face in an effort to rouse her. ‘Rhys was lying on the left side of his mother’s bed, on his back with the covers pulled over him. To Donna it looked like Rhys was asleep however she knew that he was dead. ‘He had white foam around his mouth. Donna’s mother was sat on the bed in obvious distress and Louise was laid next to Rhys stroking her son's face and staring off into space.’ A note written by single mum Cameron was found, saying what she had allegedly done. It read: ‘I’m gonna kill myself. I don’t want to hurt my kids. I gave Rhys an overdose of methadone. I’m not dying without my babies.’ Cameron told police she poisoned Rhys because she hoped it would be a ‘relatively painless’ way to die. She said: ‘I didn't want to have to stab him or drown him. I wanted us to die together. I did not want to leave him behind.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.