A MOTHER who failed to call an ambulance and left her daughter dying from a heroin overdose has been jailed.

Claire Johnson, 41, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, admitted manslaughter by gross negligence and was sentenced to two years and eight months’ imprisonment.

Daniel Kedge, 41, who provided the heroin to Johnson’s daughter Natasha , 21, was jailed for 16 months after being found guilty of supplying Class A drugs. He was cleared of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Leeds Crown Court today (March 9) heard that Natasha died at Johnson’s flat on Market Way in May 2013. She had arrived there the previous evening with Kedge and another man and they began drinking.

At some point, Kedge went out to buy drugs and when he returned he took some heroin before allowing Natasha to inject some herself.

The heroin had an immediate effect on Natasha, who was not an addict. She collapsed and began struggling for breath.

She was put in the recovery position and Johnson went to bed leaving her unresponsive on the sofa.

In the early hours of May 23, Johnson went downstairs and put a towel over Natasha after noticing she was cold. Later that morning she went back downstairs and realised she was dead.

A medical expert concluded that if immediate medical assistance had been sought for Natasha, her chances of survival would have been extremely high.

Detective Sergeant Jonathan Sygrove said afterwards: “It must have been obvious that Natasha was in urgent need of medical attention when she collapsed and became unresponsive, and Johnson has never given a proper explanation as to why she didn’t get help.

“This was a tragic end to a young life which could most probably have been avoided if the person who was with Natasha in her hour of need had acted in a correct and responsible manner.”