Mother jailed for giving 15-year-old son methamphetamine, leaving drug utensils in living room

She also admitted to consuming the drug since 2022 with increasing frequency. When she was arrested, she was taking it once or twice a week, the court heard.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Etsuko Lim argued for four years to four years and two months’ jail for the woman, citing the importance of deterrence and the need to protect those under 16 years old from drugs and drugs paraphernalia.

Allowing her son to consume methamphetamine was a highly aggravating factor, she said, noting that the woman “actively provided” him with the drug at his request for more than five months.

The victim eventually came to smoke methamphetamine with “alarming regularity,” she said, adding that his mother fuelled his drug habit.

“The prior incident shows that the accused was not merely careless or oblivious to the risk of exposing the child to drug paraphernalia,” the prosecution said in its sentencing submissions.

“She was instead totally indifferent to the dangers of exposing the child to drug utensils, having previously explained to him that the drug utensils in the sink were meant for smoking methamphetamine, without cautioning him against handling or using them.”

On top of the three-year minimum sentence for the woman’s drug use, the defence from the Public Defence Office argued for a lower additional sentence of nine to 12 months’ jail for the charge relating to her son’s involvement.

The prosecution noted the defence’s claim that the boy told his mother that he had started consuming drugs before moving in with her and her husband.

“Even if he did, it does not lessen the accused’s culpability in any way,” said Ms Lim, adding that reinforcing an addict’s pre-existing drug habits is no less harmful than introducing drugs to someone new to them.

District Judge Brenda Choo agreed with the prosecution that there was a strong need to protect children from exposure to drugs and that deterrence should be one of the main sentencing considerations.

The case did not only involve exposing a child to drugs, but also permitting him to consume them, she said in court on Friday.

Noting that the maximum sentence for such an offence is 10 years’ jail, Judge Choo agreed with the prosecution that the boy’s easy access to the drug utensils, provided by his mother and stepfather, was relevant to his drug consumption habits.

A child depends on his caregivers for safety, she said. 

“In this case, the parents did not protect the child but instead exposed him to drugs and even permitted him to consume drugs.”

Those convicted of knowingly or recklessly leaving a controlled drug or drug paraphernalia exposed, knowing a child could access them, can be jailed for up to 10 years.

For consuming methamphetamine after she was previously admitted to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre, she could have been sentenced to between three years’ jail to 10 years’ jail, a S$20,000 (US$15,586) fine, or both.