Double dose of MDMA costing £10 took girl's life, inquest hears
The mum of a 15-year-old girl from Northallerton who died after taking ecstasy costing £10 is urging parents to talk to their children about the drug.
Leah Heyes died in hospital after collapsing in Applegarth Car Park in Northallerton on 11 May 2019.
An inquest into her death heard she had taken a double dose of MDMA, the chemical name for ecstasy and had arranged to buy the drugs several days earlier via text message.
The inquest held at County Hall in North Yorkshire heard that the teenager suffered a 'rapid cardiac arrest' soon after ingesting the MDMA, and was unresponsive on arrival at James Cook University Hospital.
Two teenagers admitted supplying the drug that killed Leah.
Connor Kirkwood, 18, from Dishforth, and Mitchell Southern, 19, from Thirsk, both pleaded guilty to supplying MDMA, also known as ecstasy. Kirkwood also pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine. They are due to be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on 16 November 2020.
Kerry Roberts says she did manage to speak her daughter, who she describes as her best friend, on the night she collapsed.
Leah’s mum Kerry Roberts is now working with the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire Julia Mulligan to raise awareness of the drug.
Kerry says since Leah’s death she has been shocked to hear how available the drug is and how cheap it is to buy. She says she did speak openly with Leah about drugs but not MDMA, as she didn’t realise how much of a problem it was.
Following Leah’s death, the Conservative North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan held a drugs summit in the county and said she was told the drug is being sold for as little as £2.50 on the streets of North Yorkshire.
Today, she called on authorities and other agencies in the county to continue to get together and show leadership in tackling the issue.
Kerry was eleven weeks pregnant when Leah died and says she is devastated she never got to meet her little sister Ava.