The Crown says a Calgary mother whose toddler died of a methadone overdose deserves to spend more time behind bars.
The Crown says Lisa Guerin deserves to spend at least two years in prison for her role in her daughter's death.
Guerin and Jonathan Hope were found guilty of failing to provide the necessities of life for their 16-month-old daughter Summer.
In 2006, Summer died after drinking her father's methadone.
Guerin knew Summer had ingested the drug but left her with Hope to go to work in Rocky Mountain House.
The Crown, Ken McCaffery says Guerin left her daughter in the care of Jonathan Hope even though she knew there was a court order that was supposed to remove Jonathan from the home.
"First of all, Mr. Hope was not allowed to be living in the home; secondly, he was not to have primary care and control," says McCaffery.
McCaffery is asking the court for a sentence of between three and four years, less the 11 months Guerin has been in custody.
Guerin's lawyer argues she's already spent enough time in jail and should be released.
"The case law that I provided in court gives a range of everything from six months incarceration to two years less a day," says Adriano Iovinelli, the defence lawyer.
Ionvinellis says his client is facing a type of life sentence regardless of what the judge decides. "Regardless of how long she is locked up in jail, eventually she will be released. And she'll have to live the rest of her life knowing she caused the death of her baby."
Justice Earl Wilson has asked a family court lawyer for any information on the background of the family. He will now decide if any of that is relevant to the sentencing for Guerin.
In the meantime, Summer Hope's father Jonathan Hope is awaiting a psych assessment before his sentencing hearing takes place.
