Couple handed community payback orders after hospital staff found cocaine in baby's system

A couple have avoided jail after hospital staff found a baby in their care had traces of cocaine in his system.

Yasmin Manzur, 27, and Connor McBride, 29, cared for the four-week-old boy at a property in Glasgow’s Pollokshaws.

The baby was discovered “unwell” in the early hours of May 22, 2023, and was rushed to hospital.

Tests found elements of the drug in the boy’s urine which sparked a police probe.

A later search uncovered traces of cocaine on dummies which were kept in the property’s kitchen and living room.

Manzur and McBride pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing unnecessary suffering or injury to the boy’s health.

McBride also pled guilty to a charge of possession of cocaine.

Sheriff Tony Kelly told Friday’s sentencing that jailing the pair would be “wholly disproportionate”.

The sheriff also stated: “You would have known the risks of using cocaine around a baby.

“The court looks at the risk of harm and the gravity of harm which this could have caused.

“It must have been clear the risks of leaving drugs around the house.

“You were both incapable of protecting this vulnerable baby from the dangers you presented.

“The poor baby was incubated and ventilated – the risk of harm was high and he could have suffered life changing or life threatening injuries.

“It is with good fortune that this is the charge that you both face.”

The pair were ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work each and were put under supervision for two years.

McBride – who has a criminal record – was also tagged for five months keeping him indoors between 7pm and 7am.

The court heard that Manzur woke to find the baby unwell at 4.30am and an ambulance was called.

The boy was taken to hospital where his condition deteriorated and he was placed in an incubator and ventilator.

Prosecutor Danielle McGuinness said: “A urine sample was taken and it tested positive for cocaine.”

The hospital contacted the police and a search warrant was issued for the property.

Manzur told officers that she “did not know how this happened” while McBride was unwilling to co-operate without legal advice.

A search took place in the early hours of May 24.

Ms McGuinness said: “Swabs were taken from the kitchen, coffee table and bed side table which had traces of cocaine.

“There were two dummies found on the kitchen work top and in the living room.

“They were taken for analysis and contained an unquantified amount of cocaine.”

Manzur, now of Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, and McBride were both arrested then provided “no comment” interviews.

The hearing was told that there was no long term harm to the baby.

Gemma Elder, defending first offender Manzur, told the sentencing that her client has since gained employment in the events management industry.

The lawyer said: “This was an awful situation which was inflicted on the child which resulted in very serious and significant interference from the police.

“This was a one-off out of character situation and she will not be before the courts again.”

Garvey McArdle, defending McBride, stated: “He realises how serious this is and that the custodial threshold has been passed by quite a distance – he recognises that.”

The lawyer added that his client – who is presently teetotal – works in an organisation “which helps those who find themselves in this situation.”