Academic held after teenage party girl dies from drug overdose

[SouthernComfort]

"A girl aged 15 has died and three 14-year-olds are in hospital after taking drugs at a party. Isobel Reilly was rushed to hospital after police were called in the early hours of Saturday but died later that day.
Two boys are being kept in for observation along with a girl, whose 60-year-old father has been arrested.

Academic Brian Dodgeon, thought to own the property where the party took place, was held on suspicion of possessing drugs and child abandonment.
Dodgeon, a research fellow at the University of London's Institute of Education, is believed to have been out of the house in Notting Hill, West London, at the time. He has been released on bail until June.


A stash apparently found by partygoers inside the house also contained other substances including LSD and the horse tranquilliser Ketamine."


O dear, looks like daddy liked to trip the light fantastic but wasn't careful with his stash.

Sympathies to the family and friends, poor girl didn't even get a start.

Read more: Academic held after teenage party girl dies from drug overdose - mirror.co.uk

[MrFug]

Charged with child abandonment seems a bit extreme. He left his 15 year old in the house while he went out for a meal. What about Kate and Gerry McCann?

[SouthernComfort]

What you are charged with and what you are convicted of are two very different things.

[Snowy79]

Look on the bright side. One less drug user to block up the mental health services when she's older.

[nara]

Look on the bright side. One less drug user to block up the mental health services when she's older.

Despicable post.

[maca]

Look on the bright side. One less drug user to block up the mental health services when she's older.

Thats still someones daughter no bright side in there eyes.....

[Evastar]

experimenting with drugs as a teenager doesn't mean you are going to end up a junkie, plenty dabble and never go any further with it.

god love her family and friends, poor kid

[C64]

Look on the bright side. One less drug user to block up the mental health services when she's older.

I wonder how many of us on here dabbled with drugs as a teenager.

Poor post.

[Grizz]

i dont think charging him with anything is going to do any good (or at least following through with prosecuting him). the man has lost his daughter, if he had some part in that, he'll have that to live with it for the rest of his life- punishmentt enough for anyone i think.

[SouthernComfort]

Look on the bright side. One less drug user to block up the mental health services when she's older.

Speechless.

[MrFug]

What you are charged with and what you are convicted of are two very different things.

Yes, I'm aware of that. Charging him with abandonment still seems unfair considering I'm certain there isn't a parent in the world who hasn't left their 15 year old at home alone at some point.

[SouthernComfort]

Yes, I'm aware of that. Charging him with abandonment still seems unfair considering I'm certain there isn't a parent in the world who hasn't left their 15 year old at home alone at some point.

He hasn't been convicted, I think there might be a court case at some stage, legal technicality. Consider the other charge, how the legal system works and the fact that a child died using her parents drugs.
As has been mentioned already, the charges will be the least of his concerns, he has his conscience to deal with first.

[MrFug]

He hasn't been convicted, I think there might be a court case at some stage, legal technicality. Consider the other charge, how the legal system works and the fact that a child died using her parents drugs.
As has been mentioned already, the charges will be the least of his concerns, he has his conscience to deal with first.

Regardless of whether he has been convicted or not, the point I'm making is that charging him with child abandonment is harsh, and ultimately futile I think. The police will refer the case to the CPS, who will decide whether to prosecute, but in making their decision they must consider whether there is a "realistic prospect of conviction". I don't think there is.

Yes, a child died and it's a tragedy (as far as I'm aware it wasn't his daughter, but a friend of his daughters), but a child abandonment conviction requires "wilful neglect", I.e. Neglect in a manner "likely to cause injury to health". Most of the cases involve a parent who left their child/children for a substantial period of time without proper supervision or the means to take care of themselves. This guy only went out for a meal!

These cases are usually considered individually on the particular facts. I guess it will boil down in the end to how reckless/negligent he is deemed to have been in leaving his child at home alone with dangerous drugs available or easily discoverable.

[SouthernComfort]

Yes, a child died and it's a tragedy (as far as I'm aware it wasn't his daughter, but a friend of his daughters)

What do you tell her parents, "we're doing him with possession", where does it state he went for a meal?
House full of kids partying, maybe he went to the shop.

[cablefreejunkie]

Look on the bright side. One less drug user to block up the mental health services when she's older.

look on the bright side ! are you serious ? i just hope one day if you have kids or if you do already ,they dont end up with a life ravaged due to drugs,i have first hand experience in this situation
you ought to be ashamed of yourself writing a post like the above
shame on you SNOWY79