Understand
Hatfield pensioner spared jail over woman's morphine death
Overview
An 83-year-old man, Jeffrey Sutton, has been sentenced to 26 months in prison, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to offering to supply morphine to three women, including 27-year-old Lily Gomes. Ms Gomes died from morphine toxicity in February 2025 after falling unconscious at Sutton's home in Hatfield, having previously asked for painkillers on social media to cope with severe back pain.
Key points
- Jeffrey Sutton, 83, was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court to 26 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years.
- Sutton pleaded guilty to three counts of offering to supply morphine to different women.
- Lily Gomes, 27, died from morphine toxicity in hospital on 18 February 2025 after being given the drug by Sutton.
- Ms Gomes had contacted Sutton via social media in 2022 seeking painkillers for severe back pain following a caesarean section.
- The victim's mother criticised the sentence and described Sutton as a dangerous predator who exploited her daughter's vulnerability and addiction.