'Snapchat' drug dealer, 18, jailed after 14-year-old girl dies taking crystal MDMA at a sleepover

31 August 2022, 15:06 | Updated: 31 August 2022, 15:10

A teenage drug dealer has been jailed for seven years after being convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl, who died after taking crystal MDMA at a sleepover, that he had supplied her with.

Cerys Reeve, 14, bought the drugs from James McCairn, 18, after he advertised the illegal substances on Snapchat.

Judge John McCormick told McCairn, who was 16 at the time, he had "recklessly" supplied drugs to children.

“The charge is serious in itself as you supplied class A drugs to school age children," the judge said.

“The court is determined to do what it can to deter those who are minded to supply drugs to young people."

McCarin was found guilty of culpable homicide at a trial at Glasgow's High Court in June, and was also found guilty of supplying ecstasy to other young people in Greenock, Inverclyde, between November 2019 and July 2020.

After being convicted, the judge told McCarin: "I accept that you were 16 at the time, but you had sourced illegal drugs and advertised them for sale... This was commercial dealing with tragic consequences."

Speaking after the sentencing, the judge said that no sentence could reflect the gravity of what happened and that he could only imagine the anguish felt by Cerys' family, adding: "Such is the nature of what happened, even members of the jury were reduced to tears when returning their verdict."

McCairn had been advertising pills for sale on the morning of 13 July 2020, posting a message at one stage stating: "Mandy (slang name for MDMA) for sale. Good prices. Get SnapChattin".

Cerys travelled from a friend's house to his home to purchase MDMA, after making contact with McCairn at 2:52am, before returning to her friend's house and mixing the powder into a cup of juice.

Cerys stated that she had paid £10 for the drugs, which she was to pay for later that week.

After drinking the lethal cocktail, Cerys's friend described her as "acting really weird" and unable to control her arms, and kicking items off a window ledge.

The friend told prosecutor Graeme Jessop: "She asked me who I was and where she was. She was talking over herself and having conversations."

The witness said the teenager then began grunting, sweating and falling off the bed which woke the witnesses' mother.

Cerys started burning up and suffering a seizure, and was rushed to Inverclyde Royal Hospital, where she was described as 'rigid all over' and put on a ventilator.

The girl, described as a talented dancer, sadly never recovered and was later pronounced dead.

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McCairn continued to advertise drugs for sale an hour after Cerys had passed away - but stopped suddenly after news of the tragedy spread.

Other youngsters came forwarding saying they had also been given MDMA by the teen dealer in 2020, including McCairn's then 14-year-old girlfriend.

Defending Mr McCairn, Garry Allan, QC said that Mr McCairn acknowledged the tragedy of the incident: "It's important for me to say in meetings I have had with Mr McCairn it has been plain to me that the utter tragedy of the death of Cerys Reeve as a consequence of ingesting drugs is fully acknowledged by him."

McCairn did not give evidence during the trial.