Mother poisoned her son repeatedly to drive traffic to her blog

Lacey Spears, 27, from New York, blogged about her son Garnett’s ‘mystery illness’ on her blog, ‘Garnett’s Journey’.

What she was in fact doing was giving him high doses of salt repeatedly.

‘By not imposing the maximum, I’m exhibiting something you didn’t show your son – namely mercy,’ said Judge Robert Neary.

‘Your crime is unfathomable in its cruelty. How could a mother ever treat her child in such a callous, inhumane manner?’

Assistant District Attorney Doreen Lloyd called Garnett a normal and healthy boy made ill by his mother in ‘bizarre need for attention’

‘She used that feeding tube as a weapon to kill him. Garnett Spears should be in school today but he’s not – because his mother murdered him.’

Spears was described as having Munchausen by proxy, a syndrome where the caregiver fabricates a medical problem for someone in their care.

Garnett’s father was killed in a car accident.