A Canberra mother who admitted using heroin during her pregnancy lied about her illegal drug use to staff at the support organisation where she and her baby were living, an inquest into the baby boy's death has heard.
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The woman has also explained in detail how she would provide "fake" urine samples in the presence of authorities by inserting a cylindrical container with a cling wrap or foil lid that could be pierced while giving the sample.
The three-month-old child died suddenly in his bassinet on June 25, 2017. There was a metabolite of heroin detected in his hair, but an autopsy determined no specific cause of death.
At the time, the boy and his mother were residents at Karinya House, an organisation that supports pregnant women and women with young babies in crisis.
The mother has admitted she used heroin during her pregnancy. She denied using heroin in the five days before her baby's death, and could not explain why her two drugs tests that week had been positive for recent heroin use.
In the weeks before, her samples had lacked the methadone metabolite, an anomaly considering she was still on methadone.
The mother was questioned in the ACT Coroner's Court on Thursdayon Thursday, the inquest's second day, by a barrister representing Karinya House. She agreed that she had signed a document with conditions about her stay with the organisation, including that she not use illegal drugs and tell staff when she needed help and support.
"But the sad fact is that you lied, lied to Karinya House about your drug use," the barrister John Purnell SC said.
"I wasn't completely honest," she said, before agreeing that she had lied.
She agreed that when she returned to the house after curfew and was questioned about using drugs that she had denied it.
She agreed too that she had a good relationship with her caseworker at the organisation and that the caseworker had thought she was doing well.
She agreed that the staff would not be able to tell if she had been using heroin.
The woman also admitted using urine from friends during drug tests, the mechanics of which Chief Coroner Lorraine Walker said warranted further exploration. The woman had said she was able to give the fake samples in the presence of staff at the collection centre.
The woman said she would wear longs flowing skirts or dresses and use clean urine from friends, carried into the centre in a container in her underwear.
She denied when questioned by Katrina Musgrove, counsel representing the ACT government, that there were people at the centre who knew she was providing fake samples.
But it later emerged under further questioning that the woman would use cylindrical containers with cling wrap or foil lids and would carry the container inside herself and pierce the lid in order to provide the fake sample.
She denied when questioned by Mr Purnell that she had given a false version when he had asked about her methods earlier, saying she had been reluctant to give details.
Ms Musgrove had also questioned the mother about her awareness of preventing SIDS, and the mother detailed the steps she took to ensure the baby slept safely.
The inquest heard when the mother checked on her son before realising he had died, he had a blanket over his face and nose.
A question the inquest will consider is the appropriateness of authorities' actions in light of the mother's apparent non-compliance with her methadone program.
