Teen sold Shellie, 16, party drug that killed her
A TEENAGER has admitted supplying Ecstasy to a 16-year-old girl who collapsed at a party before dying in hospital.
The 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sold the deadly pill to Shellie Callaghan before she took ill in Newtongrange, Midlothian last October.
Shellie was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but lost her fight for life just hours later.
The 17-year-old dealer pleaded guilty to supplying Ecstasy to others, in particular Shellie Callaghan, at an address in Midlothian, when she appeared alongside two co-accused Kaia Ward and Claire Paton at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday.
Ward, 18, admitted a charge of being concerned in the supply of Ecstasy at Newtongrange Public Park, while her not guilty plea to supplying the drug to Shellie was accepted by the Crown.
Paton, 44, who appeared at court with the aid of a walking stick after recently suffering a stroke, pleaded guilty to supplying Ecstasy to a 15-year-old girl and also to allowing the schoolgirl to consume drugs within her home.
Paton, now of Northumberland, also entered not guilty pleas to possessing diamorphine and allowing her home to be used for smoking cannabis, which were accepted by the Crown. All three will be sentenced next month.
Following Shellie’s death Police Scotland were forced to issue a drug alert for rogue Ecstasy tablets known as Purple Ninja Turtles and Red Bugatti Veyrons.
A Crown narration of the events leading up to Shellie’s death was due to be heard at the city court on Friday.
However, following Ward and Paton’s guilty pleas it became apparent the 17-year-old accused’s principal lawyer was not present.
Stand-in solicitor Rebecca Weissgerber told the court she could not enter a plea on behalf of the teenager as she was unfamiliar with the case.
Sheriff Alistair Noble heard the principal agent Graham Mann was in Inverness and agreed the narrative would have to be deferred to the sentencing diet after hearing it would him more than three hours to travel to the capital.
The 17-year-old’s plea was eventually heard late on Friday afternoon when Mr Mann had arrived at the city court.
Following news of her death, tributes poured in for Shellie, who had been volunteering at a local nursery.
At the time, neighbour and close family friend Angie Dickson, 48, said: ‘She was a lovely wee lassie. She would do anything for you and was such a beautiful, fun-loving girl. I can’t really take it in.’