FARMINGTON — A judge said 17-month-old Jaslynn Raquel Mansfield did not stand a chance because of her mother’s drug addiction.

Judge David Hamilton on Wednesday, Aug. 26, sentenced Courtney Nicole Howell, 27, of Layton, to two consecutive sentences of 1 to 15 years at the Utah State Prison. Howell pleaded guilty July 8 to manslaughter and causing a child to be exposed to a controlled substance, both second-degree felonies. She admitted to causing the death of her daughter by giving her methadone.

• RELATED: New plea possible for woman accused of causing daughter’s death

Hamilton called Howell’s actions “reckless” and said she had brought her daughter into the world “saddled with her addictions.” 

“The child didn’t have a chance,” Hamilton said. 

Howell admitted in court that she knew what she did was wrong. 

Sobbing as she read a written statement,  Howell said, “I will never see my daughter grow into the beautiful woman I know she would have been.

“I’m to blame,” Howell said. “Nothing I can do or say can bring Jaslynn back.” 

Hamilton allowed Howell to turn to other relatives of Jaslynn to speak to them.

“I’m so sorry,” Howell said as she broke into sobs. 

Jaslynn’s father died of a methadone overdose shortly before her birth, so Howell knew how dangerous the drug was, said Deputy Davis County Attorney Susan Hunt. 

Hunt said Howell called 911 on March 14, 2014, because her daughter had quit breathing. She told emergency responders that Jaslynn had been breathing oddly. She set an alarm to wake her every 30 minutes to check on the girl, but she slept through the 10:30 p.m. alarm. She later found the girl not breathing. 

Hunt said Howell did not tell emergency personnel that she had given Jaslynn methadone.

“We will never know if the outcome would have been different,” Hunt said. 

Howell’s attorney, Todd Utzinger, said Howell later could have destroyed the bottles that had methadone in them, but did not. Howell told authorities she gave her daughter methadone because she was screaming and grabbing her head.  Utzinger said he asked Howell why she kept the bottles and she told him they reminded her of her daughter and also she knew the police would want them.

“She knew this was coming down,” Utzinger said. 

Utzinger said Howell knew she was going to serve prison time.

“We’re not asking for probation,” Utzinger said.

Several family members spoke in court. They described Jaslynn as a happy, healthy child, who they all missed. They also said Howell knew she could call them for help because Jaslynn had spent time with them. They all said they had wanted to believe Howell had changed and was not doing drugs anymore.

The paternal grandmother of Jaslynn said if she had known Howell was using methodone she would not have taken Jaslynn to Howell’s home that weekend. 

Howell’s mother also spoke. She said her daughter was “an awesome mom.”

The child died after being transported to Davis Hospital. An autopsy report said the cause of death was acute methadone toxicity.

Detectives and the Utah State Crime Lab determined methadone was in one of the baby bottles found in the house. They said Howell had a prescription for methadone and also had the drug in her home. The woman was arrested in November 2014.

Contact reporter Loretta Park at 801-625-4252 or lpark@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @LorettaParkSE. Like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SELorettaPark.