BBC man supplied drugs to a party where teen died
A BBC producer has admitting supplying the illegal drug ‘meow meow’ to a party where an 18year- old was kil l ed by an overdose.
Alexander Parkin, 40, appeared in the dock with celebrity barrister Henry Hendron, 35, who denies supplying drugs.
Hendron’s boyfriend, waiter Miguel Jimenez, 18, died from an overdose at the Temple, in Central London, where the legal chambers of many barristers are based.
Hendron, who was represented in court by his brother Richard Hendron, denied two counts of conspiracy to supply class B and class C drugs.
He further denied two counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and two counts of possession of controlled drugs.
Parkin admitted t wo counts of supplying controlled drugs to another.
Dominic Bell, for Parkin, told the Old Bailey: ‘He is 40 years old, he’s an executive producer at the BBC, he has one caution for possession of mephedrone.
‘There’s clearly a background to the abuse of narcotics.’
Hendron, who charges his clients £1,750 per day, represented Conservative MP Nadine Dorries when she was accused of smearing a rival during the 2015 General Election campaign. Other notable clients he has represented include the Earl of Cardigan and Stella English, who won BBC show The Apprentice i n 2010, when she took on Alan Sugar’s company Viglen.
As a 17-year-old Hendron addressed the 1998 Conservative Party conference calling for the re-introduction of corporal punishment.
He was also labelled by one newspaper as a potential next leader of the Tory Party after he made a citizen’s arrest on a would-be bank robber.
Nathan Miebai, prosecuting, told a previous hearing at City of London Magistrates’ Court: ‘The defendant, Mr Hendron, and his partner Mr Jimenez were present at their flat on the evening of January 19 through to January 20, 2015.
‘Mr Jimenez was found unresponsive by Mr Hendron on January 20.
‘There has been a toxicology analysis which found that Mr Jimenez died of a drug overdose.’ A search of the pair’s f l at f ound a number of drugs which were l ater i dentified as GHB, GBL and mephedrone, which is also known as meow meow.
‘On further analysis of Mr Hendron’s phone t here appears to be text messages between Mr Hendron and Mr Jimenez in relation to the drugs that were found at the property,’ Mr Miebai said.
‘The drugs were supplied to Mr Hendron by the codefendant Mr Parkin.’
Judge Anuja Dhir told Hendron: ‘I’m going to grant you bail until your trial, if he fail to attend the trial may go ahead in your absence.’
Adjourning the sentencing of Parkin until the conclusion of Hendron’s trial, which is due to begin on September 12, she said: ‘I will order a pre- sentence report but with the caveat that all options are open.
‘You pleaded guilty to two offences and I’m not going to sentence you today – I will pass sentence at the conclusion of the trial of your co-defendant.
‘That’s the normal procedure and I don’t see any reason in this case to depart from the norm.’
Parkin, of Westminster, admitted supplying a class B drug and supplying a class C drug.
‘Abuse of narcotics’