‘No remorse’ from drug dealer who left his partner to die on sofa
A DERBYSHIRE drug dealer left his partner to die on the sofa of her home after giving her the heroin which contributed to her death.
Derby Crown Court heard how Ben Wain did not raise the alarm or call the emergency services when he walked out of Lisa Nicholls’ property.
A post-mortem examination concluded that the 33-year-old died from a toxic reaction to a cocktail of substances she had taken. And although the heroin given to her by the 29-yearold defendant contributed to the death it was not the sole cause.
Jailing him for five years, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “It is inescapable that it was because of Lisa Nicholls’ death your offending came to light.
“You supplied heroin to her which was a factor in death but not the deciding factor.
“There is no suggestion you left her dead in the house and decided to have nothing to do with her. But I have to consider that at the time you had no remorse as to what state she was in.
“You left her there, you did not raise the alarm and it was only when her friends became concerned about her lack of social media (interaction) that they went round.
“But it was too late, she was dead, you did not show any remorse, you simply kept quiet.”
Jonathon Dee, prosecuting, said Miss Nicholls’ body was found on a sofa at her home in Newbold, Chesterfield, in late December 2019.
He said: “A syringe was found in very suspicious circumstances in her hand but it is not suggested he used it to administer the drugs to her.
“In September of that year she began a relationship with the defendant, she was a long time user of drugs as was he and he was a supplier.
“That relationship caused Lisa’s family and friends some concern, it was clear it was utterly toxic. “After a particularly difficult Christmas with her family Lisa Nicholls was noted to have said she was ‘going on a binge.’
“She had a history of using alcohol and between December 26 and probably December 28 she took a combination of drugs and she died on the sofa.” Mr Dee said Wain, of no fixed address, left the address and did not contact any emergency services or raise any alarm.
He said he was arrested and asked what he knew about the death and made no comment about it. Mr Dee said a mobile phone was analysed and on it was evidence Wain had been sending mass marketing messages to 14 numbers and had been selling class A substances. He pleaded guilty to supplying heroin and crack cocaine. Gregor Purcell, mitigating said his client accepts he supplied the heroin which contributed towards the cocktail of substances which caused Miss Nicholls’ death.
He said: “He did not know she was dead (when he left the address). “He has been in custody since January of this year and has been on detox and is free of drugs.
“He is employed in the kitchen at the prison and has enhanced status.” Aged 21, Wain had been jailed for 18 months for possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
The relationship caused Lisa’s family and friends some concern, it was clear it was utterly toxic Jonathon Dee