Schoolgirl dies after buying class A drugs from Snapchat drug dealer
Bethany Devlin-McCrone, 14, died on July 24 after she bought MDMA and cocaine from Connor Parrish, 19.
Charlotte Hadfield
A schoolgirl died after taking MDMA she bought from a drug dealer she spoke to over Snapchat.
Bethany Devlin-McCrone died after she and her friend bought cocaine and MDMA on the night of July 24, 2018, reports the Liverpool Echo .
The 14-year-old had invited her friend round for a sleepover at her home in Wirral when she got in contact with Connor Parrish, 19, over Snapchat.
The two teenagers later arranged for a teenage boy - who cannot be named for legal reasons - to go and collect the drugs on their behalf.
Bethany Devlin-McCrone ordered the drugs with her friend during a sleepover on the night of her death (Image: Liverpool Echo)
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Once the drugs were passed on to Bethany and her friend, they each took a pill and some powder mixed with liquid in a Lucozade bottle at about 11.15pm.
A short time later, Bethany's behaviour became erratic as she began screaming, punching the wall and screaming at herself in the mirror.
The teen then lay on her bedroom floor where she became unresponsive as her friend tried to perform CPR on her chest.
Her friend then called Bethany's mother for help and an ambulance was called.
But despite several paramedics trying their best to revive Bethany, she suffered a fatal reaction to the stimulant and died before she reached hospital.
Bethany was described by her mum as 'loveable' and 'cheeky' (Image: Liverpool Echo)
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Police later traced Parrish as the dealer from messages on the phones of the teenagers and his home was searched.
They found ketamine , cocaine and drug dealing paraphernalia.
Parrish admitted to officers that he'd been selling MDMA and cocaine for "approximately three to four months" leading up to July 2018.
A mobile phone was also seized from Parrish containing a string of messages from Bethany, who claimed to be feeling no effects from the MDMA.
However, after Parrish told the girls to wait an hour to feel the effects of the drugs, they later sent another message to tell him "it's amazing."
Forensic tests revealed that Bethany had taken a particularly high dose of the drug - with 4.8ml of MDMA per litre of blood found in her body.
The cause of Bethany's death was confirmed as MDMA toxicity.
Parrish was in floods of tears when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying a controlled drug, one count of possessing a Class A drug and one count of possessing a Class B drug.
He was sentenced to four years in a young offenders detention centre along with an additional six-month and three-month sentence to run concurrently.
In a victim impact statement which was read to the court, Bethany's mother, Angela Devlin-McCrone blamed social media for making her daughter feel that she should take drugs to 'fit in' with a crowd.
She said "Bethany was the world our whole lives revolved around. She was a cheeky, loveable and stubborn girl."
Connor Parish was sentenced to four years in a young offenders detention (Image: Merseyside Police)
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John Weate, defence, told the court that Parrish had written a letter of apology to Bethany's family which would be passed on to Merseyside Police before the family decide whether they would like to receive it.
Judge Neil Flewitt QC said Parrish used Snapchat as a marketing tool for his operation which helped him to reach a wider range of customers outside of his acquaintances.
Speaking of Bethany's family Judge Flewitt QC added: "It is an understatement to say that they are devastated by what has happened."
Speaking after the case Detective Inspector Paul Parry said: "This was a terribly tragic and shocking incident which resulted in the death of Bethany at just 14 years of age.
"The loss of Bethany has had a devastating effect on her family and friends and no sentence, however long, can ever bring her back.
"I hope that the sentence Parrish received will means he spends a considerable amount of time reflecting on the consequences of his actions.
"I also want people to think carefully before they consider taking drugs - it is not only illegal to buy and sell drugs, but taking illegal substances can also be very dangerous and potentially fatal. People taking these drugs don't know what's in them, where they've come from or what effects they may have."
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