Regina woman who gave child alcohol while babysitting sentenced to 8 months in prison

Regina Provincial Court is pictured. (Brendan Ellis / CTV News Regina)

A Regina woman who gave a child alcohol in 2021 while babysitting will be spending eight months in prison.

Jessica Rae Fehr pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Regina Provincial Court on Oct. 3 for bodily harm caused by criminal negligence to the toddler, who was almost 21-months-old at the time, court documents show.

In May 2021, Fehr was babysitting the toddler, who she had looked after since the child was three weeks old, in her home.

She bathed the child after supper, which is when she admitted she gave the child some of her cocktail, according to the Agreed Statement of Facts in the Sentencing Decision by Judge Kovatch.

Fehr admitted she gave the child multiple sips using an infant medicinal syringe to give her at least three 10 millilitre plunges of the drink, a rum and coke.

“She admits that she gave her more than this — but does not recall specifically how or how much. Ms. Fehr told police that she immediately had no idea why she did what she did — and she was immediately scared,” read the statement of facts.

Fehr laid the child down for a nap sometime after 6 p.m. and checked on her three times because she was worried about her. When she checked on her the third time, the child was in distress, throwing up, struggling to breathe, and turning blue, according to the document.

Fehr called her husband who then called 911.

The child was in the Regina General Hospital over the night of May 11 to May 12 then was flown to the children’s hospital in Saskatoon where she was reported as stable. She was sent back to Regina and discharged on May 13, 2021.

According to the Child and Family Medical Service Report prepared by Dr. Soper of the Regina General Hospital, the child had life threatening consequences because of the alcohol poisoning. This included hypovolemia, a condition that happens when you suddenly lose a lot of blood or fluids from your body, lactic acidosis, as well as abnormal respiratory status, and reduced level of consciousness.

The child was diagnosed with acute ethanol poisoning, and at the time of the 911 call, her blood alcohol content “was likely at least 330mg per cent, which is more than quadruple the legal driving limit in adults,” according to a toxicologist within the report.

Fehr read a letter of apology in court and said repeatedly how very sorry she was for this, according to the document. She said the child was like a daughter to her and what she did was a “cruel and mean thing,” and that she can’t forgive herself.

In addition to the eight month prison sentence, Fehr is also facing two years of probation.