The Facts
24. The prosecution case was that the appellant had “bumped up” the 2C-P that he supplied to Louella (whether by increasing the dose, or by mixing it with another drug); that she had consumed the drug(s) in the afternoon of Sunday 10 September 2017; that they had then spent some hours together in a dense wood just outside the festival site. Louella’s condition deteriorated and ultimately, she died. The prosecution case was that despite being urged to do so in telephone calls and text messages from members of Louella’s family, the appellant had failed to take reasonable steps to save her life. Louella was formally pronounced dead at the scene at 01.10 on Monday 11 September 2017 (her 25th birthday) although there was evidence that she had died over an hour before. Traces of 2C-P, MDMA (Ecstasy) and ketamine were later found in her body. Traces of 2C-P, MDMA, ketamine, diazepam and the breakdown product of cocaine were later found in the appellant’s samples, and 44mgs of 2C-P were found inside the back of his iPhone. In interview, the appellant denied that he had ever supplied drugs to Louella or to anyone else. He claimed that he had not taken any drugs at the festival. Nevertheless, prior to the trial, he pleaded guilty to two offences of supplying 2C-P at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset in June 2017 to Louella and a friend.