A MOTHER left her baby brain-damaged after feeding him 30 times the recommended dose of painkillers to stop him waking every hour, a court was told.

But Judge Anthony Russell QC decided not to jail the 27-year-old Accrington woman saying she was "shamed and remorseful" and there was a great deal of good in her.

She was said to be struggling with post-natal depression and the stress of caring for her two children while running the family home when "everything became too much".

Judge Anthony Russell QC yesterday took pity on the mum, saying there was a great deal of good in her.

He chose to hand down a two-year community rehabilitation order rather than a jail sentence after she had earlier pleaded guilty to cruelty to a child.

A crown court sitting at Lancaster Castle heard that in the early hours of January 6 last year, the woman was "extremely" tired and the two-month old baby was waking every hour, crying and wanting to be fed.

Peter Horgan, prosecuting, said the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave the baby some Calpol, which settled him for a short period.

But, he added, when her son kept waking up she fed him some more, later giving him cough medicine when the Calpol ran out.

By 7.15am the baby started breathing heavily and was taken into Queen's Park Hospital's intensive care unit.

Doctors soon discovered he had been poisoned by taking blood and urine samples.

Mr Horgan said: "The level of paracetamol found was twice the level found in paracetamol deaths and without medical intervention, would have resulted in the child's death. It was also 30 times the level recommended for a baby.

"The level of codeine was also twice the lethal limit and 30 times the adult dosage."

Mr Horgan told the court of the "terrible" health problems the baby, who still spends a lot of time in hospital, now suffers from due to the overdose.

He said: "He is severely brain damaged, which is best described as cerebral palsy.

"He is unable to support himself in a seating position and is his doctor says he should be registered blind.

"He his epileptic seizures up to 10 times a day. He is dependent on others for his needs and feeding.

"He will be unable to communicate, apart from on a basic level.

"His life expectancy is four years."

Louise Whaites, defending, said it was a tragic case.

She told how the woman was anxious about her baby's health because he had been born seven weeks premature.

In addition, she said the woman felt her needs were being overlooked as she struggled to run the family home for her children, husband and paternal grandparents.

Miss Whaites added: "She felt unable to describe to those close to her that she was not coping.

"She said she loves him (her baby) enormously and is absolutely certain she never wanted anything bad to happen to him or cause him harm whatsoever.

"She is a lady of exemplary character. She is full of remorse and shame.

"If she could turn back the clock she would."

Judge Russell said the woman's decision to plead guilty was "brave and courageous".

But he added: "That poor little boy is permanently and severely brain damaged and has a reduced life expectancy. That is a direct consequence of your actions and something you will have to live with for the rest of your life.

"I accept you were under considerable stress and that everything became too much for you.

"You genuinely feel remorse and shame and would turn the clock back if you could.

"But it has to be acknowledged that you took a risk with your son's health resulting in terrible consequences for him and your family."

Judge Russell said he had decided to try and rehabilitate the woman because she would punish herself everyday in her mind knowing what she had done.

He added: "I recognise there is a great deal of good in you and I want that to come to the fore."

The case was investigated by Det Con Jane Lawrenson of the public protection unit based at Accrington police station, who was unavailable for comment today.