Mother found in ‘zombie’ state with baby in cannabis home

A mother found in a ‘zombie-like’ state after smoking synthetic cannabis in the company of her two young children has been convicted of child ill treatment. 

The woman from Rotorua, on New Zealand’s north island, will be sentenced in April after she pleaded guilty to using the drug while her eight-week-old baby and five-year-old child watched on.

Officers arrived at a Rotorua home in August to find the woman – who cannot be named to protect her children’s identities – swaying and slurring her speech as she held her infant child, Stuff reported.

A mother found in a ‘zombie-like’ state after smoking synthetic cannabis in the company of her two young children has been convicted of child ill treatment (stock image)

Police were called to the home to help paramedics who were helping an unconscious man, also affected by synthetic cannabis.

Rotorua District Court heard the police found all of the home’s residents in ‘various drug induced states’.

The mother picked her baby up from a pillow on the floor when she saw police enter the room. 

Police became concerned as the woman swayed with her child in her arms and failed to support the baby’s head, the court was told.

A police summary of facts found she only admitted to smoking a cigarette at the time, and not synthetic cannabis. 

Her five-year-old was found rocking back and forth, while the eight-week-old was ‘extremely quiet’ with ‘droopy’ arms, the summary found.  

Court also heard the eyes rolled back in the baby’s head twice while being taken away from the scene by police. 

The woman from Rotorua, on New Zealand's north island, will be sentenced in April after she pleaded guilty to using the drug while her eight-week-old baby and five-year-old child watched on (stock image)

The woman from Rotorua, on New Zealand’s north island, will be sentenced in April after she pleaded guilty to using the drug while her eight-week-old baby and five-year-old child watched on (stock image)

Another woman was found at the house ‘grunting and vomiting over herself’, which was ‘clearly’ observed by the five-year-old. 

‘[This was] child abuse of a serious nature and type and it needs to be treated this way,’ Judge Tony Snell said.

The children remain under the care of government child support service Oranga Tamariki, the publication reported. 

Manager Tayelva​ Petley said the children had not suffered any medical issues despite their exposure to synthetic cannabis.

‘Oranga Tamariki staff have been working intensively with the family around appropriate longer term care arrangements for the children,’ the manager told Stuff.

‘A family group conference was held in December, and a plan was developed for each child with their best interests and safety at heart.’ 

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