Baby's 'party' drug exposure death to be examined by fatal accident inquiry in 2027

The death of a baby who had been exposed to "party" drugs at his Aberdeenshire home will be examined by a fatal accident inquiry next year, a hearing has been told.

Three-month-old Olly-James Sievwright died in hospital in December 2019 as a result of consuming mephedrone, also known as M-CAT, combined with the effects of a peritonitis infection.

His drug-dealing mother, Amy Beck, is serving a four-year jail sentence for exposing her son to M-CAT as well as MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, at their home in Sandhaven.

During her trial at the High Court in Aberdeen, jurors heard how the house was "polluted" by drugs, and the mephedrone may have compromised her baby's ability to deal with the implications of contracting peritonitis.

Earlier this year, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) lodged a first notice to begin the court process for a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death.

The FAI will determine Olly-James' cause of death; the circumstances in which it occurred; and establish what reasonable precautions, if any, could have been taken and could be implemented to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.

COPFS anticipates that the FAI will explore "the adequacy of the care" provided to Beck and her son by NHS Grampian and Aberdeenshire Council's social work department.

Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature and are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame.

A continued preliminary hearing was held at Peterhead Sheriff Court on Wednesday to assess the progress of preparations for the FAI.

Lynsey Rodger, for the Crown Office, said: "I can say at this stage that while little progress had been made in terms of additional preparation, the issue that caused the postponement has, as much as it can be, resolved to the extent that I am satisfied that it's appropriate for this inquiry to continue on track."

Ms Rodger told the hearing the issue that arose was related to the discovery of some additional information that resulted in a police investigation and a review of whether there will be any impact on the conviction of Beck.

Ms Rodger said there will be "some minimal effect" on the inquiry, but she does not expect it to cause significant delay going forward.

Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald agreed to arrange a continued preliminary hearing for 20 January 2027.

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NHS Grampian previously said it was unable to comment due to the live legal proceedings, but pledged: "We will be fully engaged in the process."

An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson added: "We are aware of the fatal accident inquiry proceedings and can confirm we will be fully engaged with the proceedings."

(c) Sky News 2026: Baby's 'party' drug exposure death to be examined by fatal accident inquiry in 2027