Baby found with cocaine and cannabis in system after dying in squalor

20 September 2023 , 22:19

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Baby Grant Storey-Delaney had cocaine in his cannabis in his system when he died, an inquest heard (Image: MEN MEDIA)

A baby boy was found dead in a squalid home surrounded by cat faeces, and had drugs in his system, an inquest has heard.

Grant John Storey-Delaney had cocaine and cannabis in his system when he was found dead in his baby bouncer by mum Sophie Riley, a coroner heard. The four-month-old was 'turning grey with a blanket over his face' when checked by Ms Riley in the early hours at the home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, on February 22, 2021.

Paramedics were called, but tragically Grant was pronounced dead, Manchester Evening News reports. The court was told distressing evidence of the conditions police were met with after attending the house, with "rubbish strewn over the floor", the boiler set at 80 degrees and cat litter trays filled with faeces and urine.

Detective Inspector Maxwell told Rochdale coroners court the house was "one of the worst addresses" she had ever been in during her 29 years of service. The inquest heard a post-mortem found a scab on the infant's head which was "unlikely to have been caused by his own movements", although did not contribute to his death.

Baby Grant was found dead in a baby bouncer by mum Sophie Riley (MEN MEDIA)

The examination found several factors were likely to have contributed to Grant's death, including the warm temperature in the house which was measured at 26C by police, as well as the drugs in his system, and the baby bouncer which was described as "not a safe long term sleeping position for a child", either "in isolation or combined".

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Ms Riley and Grant's father, Steven Delaney, were both initially arrested on suspicion of child neglect, but were bailed pending further enquiries, the inquest heard. Giving evidence, DI David Crewe said upon admission to custody, mum Sophie Riley had commented: "I'm not going to lie I have had coke before but never around Grant".

Blood taken from both parents while in custody showed cocaine presence consistent with 'recreational use', he added. The court heard the most likely way cocaine and cannabis had entered Grant's body was through 'contamination' - for example, if his food was prepared on a surface that had previously touched the drugs.

He told the court he had "considered" charges of murder and gross negligence manslaughter. "The difficulty was, due to him having an unascertained cause of death, it was not possible for me to show a causation between positive actions or omissions from any person and Grant's death," he said.

Mum Sophie Riley found baby Grant 'turning grey with a blanket over his face' (MEN MEDIA)

Coroner Catherine McKenna recorded an open verdict in the case, noting that Grant had been found with drugs in his system in an 'unsanitary' environment. The coroner said there was evidence he was exposed to cocaine and cannabis, adding the post-mortem examination "was unable to arrive [at] an exact mechanism of death".

The court heard a number of 'non-death' offences are 'actively being considered', with enquiries ongoing. Grant had been classed as a 'child in need' by social services before his birth due to Ms Riley's previous involvement with child protection, which saw her have children removed from her care, the inquest heard.

Independent chair of the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Partnership, Amanda Clarke, told the court a child safeguarding practice review had raised 'questions' over why he was not placed on a child protection plan. She said that as a child in need, Grant should have been seen by health and social care professionals weekly, but he was not.

An inquest was held into the four-month-old's death (MEN MEDIA)

A coroner recorded an open verdict (MEN MEDIA)

The inquest heard that Ms Riley and Mr Delaney had been more 'engaged' with health and social care professionals in the first two months of Grant's life, but from December the couple refused social workers entry to their home. Mrs Clarke said the safeguarding review had highlighted the 'theme' of how agencies working with families 'manage and deal with 'what may be seen as non-engagement by parents'.

She added that information sharing between different agencies was 'not satisfactory,' as Grant's GP, who was not included in any reviews or assessments, had important knowledge about Ms Riley's mental health. Historical information regarding Ms Riley's other children was also not considered as 'quickly and fully as it should have been," Mrs Clarke told the court.

Ms McKenna ordered Mrs Clarke to provide further information on the changes made by social services in Rochdale following Grant's death to assist her on whether it was necessary to commission a prevention of future deaths report.

Nicole Wootton-Cane