Pair jailed over Megan Bannister death
Two men have been jailed for what a judge called the 'callous and morallyrepugnant' roles they played in supplying a schoolgirl with MDMA shortly before her death.
Jason Burder, 29, and 28-year-old Adam King had pleaded guilty to drugs charges after being cleared of the gross negligence manslaughter of Megan Bannister part-way through their trial.
Burder, described by the High Court judge as the 'prime mover', drove the16-year-old around in his car for hours, drinking beers with his passenger'easily-led' King, who spent his time browsing online escort services.
Megan was discovered dead on the backseat of Burder's Vauxhall Astra, only after he crashed the car near Enderby, Leicestershire, on the morning of May 14.
A trial at Birmingham Crown Court had heard that Burder told his mother shortly before 7.50am the men were taking Megan home, but instead the 'indifferent' pair drove around with the young girl, who was left covered with a coat.
Sentencing seasoned drug-user and 'pusher' Burder on Wednesday for supplying Megan with MDMA, Mrs Justice Jefford said:
The judge said the men had "targeted" the girl, both chipping into buy thedrugs and then 'by stealth or persuasion, you got her to take far more than either of you did'.
She described Burder's role as 'far more serious', as it was he who thenfilmed the effects of MDMA on Megan in his bedroom, 'broadcasting her suffering the effects of the drug on Snapchat'.
While Megan was still in his room, along with King, he sent a messagepretending he had not seen the GCSE student, who had dreamed of becoming a midwife.
She told Burder, of Braunstone Avenue, Leicester:
Departing from normal sentencing guidelines she handed Burder a hefty prison term, because of the 'many aggravating factors'.
He was jailed for a total of eight-and-a-half years, after also pleading guilty to possession of MDMA found at the crash scene, two counts of supplying drugs to another woman, and a careless driving offence for his role in the road collision.
Turning to King, of Waltham Avenue, Leicester, who admitted being concerned in the supply of 2g of MDMA to Megan, the judge told him:
She jailed him for four-and-a-half years.
The judge praised Megan's family, who sat throughout the trial listening toharrowing evidence, adding: