Woman jailed for holding party where teenager died

A 44-year-old woman who allowed her house to be used for a party for teenage children where drugs were taken and a 16-year old girl died has been jailed for more than seven months.

Claire Paton, 44, pleaded guilty to supplying cannabis to children in her Newtongrange home in October 2016.

She also admitted a breach of parental responsibility by allowing her home to be used by children to take ecstasy.

The children who attended the party were aged between 14 and 16.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Paton, who has since moved to Northumberland, was sentenced to 225 days in prison.

Fiscal depute Nicole Lavelle told Sheriff Alistair Noble that 16-year old Shellie Callaghan, the girl who later died, had gone from the party with a friend by bus to the Mayfield area where they met with a 17-year old girl and bought 25 red bugatti veyron ecstasy tablets for £130.

They then returned to the house and the tablets were shared around. Ms Lavelle said Paton had filled a cannabis bong which was then passed around.

At about 03:00 on Saturday 15 October, the fiscal said three purple ninja turtle ecstasy tablets were bought for £20 from 18-year old Kaia Ward at Newtongrange Park.

Ms Lavelle said that at 07:30 a 999 call was made for an ambulance for Shellie Callaghan, when she was found lying in a shower room. She was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, but died from ecstasy toxicity.

Paton's solicitor, Keith Leishman, said she accepted full responsibility.

He said: "She did not think this through very well" and added that she had now moved away from the area. Neither of the teenage girls had any previous convictions. Paton had a number of previous convictions.

The 17-year old girl who supplied the red bugatti tablets cannot be named for legal reasons. She pleaded guilty to supplying Shellie and others with the tablets and was placed under supervision for 18 months on a community payback order under which she was to perform 180 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.

Kaia Ward admitted supplying the ninja tablets. She was placed on a community payback order to perform 150 hours of unpaid work within nine months.