Man admits drowning friend at Wirral pond after taking illegal high

A man's admitting drowning his friend at a Wirral pond after smoking the illegal high Spice

The tragedy occurred after the victim Barry O’Reilly gave Christopher Davies a pipe containing the drug to smoke while at a Wirral pond.

Davies, who thought it only contained cannabis, suffered an extreme reaction to the Spice and fearing for his life launched the fatal attack on his work colleague initially at the side of the water and then within it.

Another fisherman saw them wrestling in the four feet deep fishing pond and was shocked to see Davies “leathering him”.

He was using one hand to hold Mr O’Reilly and the other hand to punch him,

Ian Unsworth, QC, prosecuting said “Mr O”Reilly screamed, ‘You’re killing me, you’re killing me, get off’,”

“The defendant was then seen to hold the deceased under the water. The deceased managed to struggle up above the surface for air but on three occasions the defendant forced his head back and beneath the surface.”

A witness heard Davies saying, ‘call the police mate, not been funny, am in a different world, been given Spice by best mate, I think I’ve killed the man.’

A fisherman and Davies dragged Mr O’Reilly out of the water and they began performing CPR. When the police arrived Davies was agitated and said, ‘He gave me Spice, I was crawling around on the floor, he was laughing and told me I’ll be ok. I hit him, he hit me, I hit him again. He’s me mate, I work with him, how is he?’

28-year-old Davies, of Town Lane, Higher Bebington, was due to stand trial this week facing a murder charge but today changed his plea to manslaughter on the grounds of loss of control

Liverpool Crown Court claimed that they were not pursuing the murder charge as the Crown would be unable to make a jury sure that Davies had knowingly taken Spice.

Outlining the background to the tragic events which unfolded on the morning of May 15 this year Mr Unsworth said that Mr O’Reilly, of Old Chester Road, Birkenhead, died the day before his 38th birthday.

He and Davies both worked for door manufacturers, Vista Panels, and had a common interest in fishing and their was no evidence of hostility between them. On the fateful morning they both got the bus to the pond within the grounds of Claremont Farm, Old Clatterbridge Road, Wirral.

About two hours later another fisherman heard shouting coming from the two men and saw them standing outside their tent and Mr O’Reilly began to walk away from the defendant towards him but suddenly stopped and walked back.

The witness thought Mr O’Reilly seemed to be scared and Davies was doing all the shouting. He then heard a loud splash and saw the victim standing waist high in the water and wading towards an island and then saw Davies also in the water. The fatal attack in the pond then took place.

When interviewed by police Davies said the victim gave him a pipe which he believed contained cannabis but after inhaling once suffered an extreme reaction.

“He asserted that he felt as though his brain was being sucked out of his head, his legs felt like jelly and he began crawling along the ground and grabbed the deceased’s feet. He asked the deceased what he had been given and was told the pipe had a bit of ’spizzle’ in it.”

Mr Unsworth said that bosses at their place of work knew they both used cannabis. Mr O’Reilly had also used Spice previously and some was found at his home but Davies had told his supervisor he would not take Spice as he had heard “it was bad.”

He explained that Spice, which can cause death, leads to feelings of euphoria, agitation, rapid heart beat and vivid hallucinations. The most extreme hallucinations may be expected in the first few minutes with the effects possibly begin to recede after 30 - 60 minutes.

Mr Unsworth said that the evidence showed Davies’ behaviour from the time of the 999 call to arrest “did show his behaviour receding from what might be described as euphoric to distress to concern for Barry O’Reilly.”

Nigel Power, QC, defending, said that Davies, who has one previous conviction for common assault, deeply regretted what happened. He had suffered sudden and dramatic effects of Spice, thought he was going to die and felt lie he had a black vortex in his head.

He did not suggest Mr O’Reilly bore him any ill will in giving him the drug and the events “emphasised to all the perils of taking any type of illegal drug.”

Mr Power pointed out that ten days after the offence it became illegal to produce or supply Spice but not to use it.

Judge Clement Goldstone, QC adjourned sentence until tomorrow and further remanded Davies in custody.

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