A SOBBING mum has been charged with manslaughter after her toddler choked to death on popcorn kernels while she was allegedly drunk in the bathroom.
Olivia Bithorn, 36, wept in court as she was accused of giving 18-month-old Luke Russell a bag of uncooked kernels which ended up becoming lodged in his throat.
Olivia Bithorn sobbed on June 12 Credit: Youtube / CBS news
Luke Russell choked to death on a popcorn kernel Credit: Youtube / CBS news
Luke was dead for over an hour before 911 was called by Bithorn, according to Nassau district attorney Anne Donnelly.
“Her son was blue and cold to the touch,” she said.
The court heard that Bithorn’s issues ultimately helped lead to the death of her son as she left him unattended.
She pleaded not guilty and claimed she wasn’t aware of the dangers the popcorn kernels could cause.
The mother faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty Credit: Facebook
The prosecution allege the mother had struggles with alcoholism for years Credit: Facebook
Details of Luke’s tragic death were revealed as prosecutors said Bithorn and her two children were staying at an in Nassau County, Long Island on April 12.
Bithorn left Luke and his sister Ruby Russell, three, alone in the property as she drank heavily in a separate room before being sick in the bathroom, prosecutors allege.
She gave both children a bag of uncooked popcorn kernels at some point in the evening, it is understood.
One of the kernels ended up becoming stuck in the toddler’s throat as he struggled to breathe and ultimately died.
The toddler’s sister reportedly found him unresponsive a short time later.
DA Donnelly told the court: “Allegedly, she [Bithorn] was in the bathroom, possibly getting sick because she had drunk so much.
“She allegedly was intoxicated, gave the children a bag of unpopped popcorn and her son was eating the kernels, and they got stuck and he died.”
Shocking photos from the Airbnb show an empty bottle of Tito’s Vodka next to a pacifier on the carpet.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene in the early hours of April 13, after a 911 call from the mother, detectives confirmed.
Bithorn has been charged with one count of manslaughter in the second degree, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Indictment.
“It’s an accident if you leave the room for a few minutes,” DA Donnelly said.
“But it’s criminal if you actually give your child these kernels to eat and not be present in case something happens, which is exactly what happened here, your non-presence, non-care elevates it to a .”
Prosecutors say Bithorn is separated from her husband and is believed to have been sober for months before the fatal trip.
She is being held on $250,000 bail and faces 15 years if convicted, according to CBS News.
She was also handed a restraining order barring her from seeing her daughter and estranged husband.
Bithorn will next appear in court on July 23.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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