A toddler who was initially thought to have drowned in a bath was deliberately given drugs and overdosed.
Jordan Thompson was 21-months-old when he was found unresponsive in his home in the New South Wales Hunter Region on March 19, 2005, with a lethal dose of antidepressants in his system.
A coroner has found the boy was given a tablet containing the drug Amitriptyline – commonly used to treat mental illness – before his mother, Bernice Swales, rushed him to a Singleton hospital, Deputy State Coroner Elaine Truscott said Friday.
Jordan Thompson (pictured) who was initially thought to have drowned in a bath was deliberately given drugs and overdosed, a coroner found
A coroner has found the boy was given a tablet containing the drug before his mother Bernice Swales (pictured) rushed him to a Singleton hospital but he died on the way
The child, who was in the care of Ms Swales boyfriend, Cecil Kennedy, at the time died as a consequence of Amitriptyline toxicity and not from drowning in a bath tub.
‘I have determined that (he) was deliberately given the medication and I have determined that he did not suffer a drowning,’ Ms Truscott said.
Mr Kennedy was charged in 2008 with manslaughter but the case was dropped after he claimed he left Jordan alone for 90 seconds and the toddler walked himself to the bath where he found him floating face down.
But now new evidence has emerged that the boy was transported to the bathroom.
A second inquest, that started in 2015 and finished on Friday, revealed the boy died after being ‘deliberately administered anti-depressant medication … by a known person’.
More than a decade ago, Ms Swales left her young son in the care of Mr Kennedy while she took the other children to the park then grocery shopping, only for her life to change when she returned home.
Ms Swales said the morning of her son’s death he appeared ‘sort of wobbly on his legs’ and ‘drowsy’ but thought it was because he had been sitting on the lounge for a while.
Hours later, the young boy vomited on the couch so Ms Swales cleaned him and put him to bed and he slept through the afternoon until her return at about 6.15pm.
She found him ‘lying naked on the bed’ and her boyfriend performing mouth-to mouth resuscitation.
Jordan was carried out of the room by his distraught mother as his eyes ‘flickered’ and ‘started to go to the back of his head’.
The child (pictured with his mum) was in the care of his mother’s boyfriend Cecil Kennedy at the time and died as a consequence of Amitriptyline toxicity and not from drowning
The 21-month-old died on the way to the hospital.
Despite the Coroner’s new findings, Ms Trustcott said there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute.
‘I’m very pleased with the outcome today, at least we have confirmed the actual cause of death now and that will enable the investigation to move forward,’ Ms Swales told 9News.
Earlier in the investigations, a lab study of the bathwater found fibres likely from a blue blanket, which may suggest that the youngster was wrapped up and taken to the bath.
Forensic expert Dr Susan Bennet previously told The Daily Telegraph: ‘In my opinion these findings strongly support the theory that the blue bedspread is the source of a significant number of fibres from the bath water.’
Supporting this theory, experts said in the inquest in April that Jordan had so much amitriptyline in his body that he would have been knocked out.
Police now believe Jordan died elsewhere in the unit and was wrapped in the blanket so other children could not see him.
Ms Swales previously told The DailyTelegraph that she hoped the new evidence will let her ‘finally get justice for Jordan’.
A second inquest started in 2015 and finished on Friday (Ms Swales pictured leaving court today) revealed the boy died after being ‘deliberately administered anti-depressant medication … by a known person’
In 2015, an inquest into the death heard that traces of prescription medication were found in the boy’s (pictured) vomit from when he was sick at 12pm that day
In 2015, an inquest into the death at the Glebe Coroner’s Court heard that traces of prescription medication were found in the little boy’s vomit from when he was sick at 12pm that day.
A court previously heard Jordan was put to bed and appeared to have wet the bed when he woke up crying at about 5pm the evening he died.
Mr Kennedy told police the boy then walked himself to the bath and was ‘mucking around’ while bathing.
The boyfriend, who had only been dating the boy’s mother since late 2004, then left the bathroom for about 90 seconds, he said.
‘On his return to the bathroom he saw Jordan face down in the water,’ Counsel assisting Chris McGorey said.
Despite the coroner’s new findings, Ms Trustcott said there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute (Ms Swales pictured)
‘He described Jordan as soaking wet and feeling floppy.’
A post-mortem revealed significant amounts of antidepressants in his blood.
The court heard at those dosage levels, Jordan would probably not have been able to walk or sit up unaided.
However, Professor Olaf Drummer said the toxicity levels would have increased significantly after death.
Prof Drummer could not say how much medication Jordan may have ingested.
The little boy also had ‘unusual bruises on his head and cuts on his feet’.
Mr Kennedy had always expressly denied administering Jordan the antidepressants.