Tranmere teenager who dealt drugs on Snapchat sentenced to four years detention
19.year old Connor Parrish was introduced to drugs by his own Dad.
Last updated 2nd Oct 2019
A teenage drug dealer, who used social media site Snapchat as “a marketing tool”, has been jailed for supplying ecstasy which killed a 14-year-old girl.
“Loveable” school girl Bethany Devlin-McCrone died two hours after taking the drug and paramedics who rushed to her Wirral home were unable to resuscitate her.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that 19-year-old Connor Parrish, who sobbed throughout the hearing, had been introduced to drugs by his own father and began supplying to finance his “acute” cannabis addiction.
Parrish's dad was even with him in the car when he sold the drugs which led to the victim’s death.
Parrish had never met Bethany but she contacted him via Snapchat and she arranged for a 14-year-old boy to collect the drugs and hand over £30 for them. The boy passed on two ecstasy tablets and powder to Bethany and her 14-year-old friend, who was staying over on the fatal night at her Greasby home.
Sentencing Parrish, of Cobden Avenue, Tranmere, to four years detention Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, said “You used Snapchat as a marketing tool for your operation and that led to it going beyond your small group of acquaintances to a wider range of customers.”
Judge Flewitt said that although he may not have known the drugs were destined for 14-year-old girls, he knew the boy who bought them for them was a teenager.
“As a result of taking drugs that originated from you Bethany Devlin-McCrone tragically died. There is a direct link between her death and the drugs that you supplied.”
He pointed out that the court regularly deals with young drug dealers and regularly warns of the dangers of such activity. “This case is a tragic reminder that every time you deal drugs of this sort you are gambling with the lives of your customers.”
“You lost that gamble and Bethany’s family have lost far more as a result…….It is an under-statement to say that they are devastated by what has happened and the sadness of these events will live with them forever.”
The judge described him being led into drug dealing by his own father as “inexplicable. If he has any sort of conscience he will be feeling a degree of responsibility for what has happened.”
As he was led to the cells Parrish turned in tears to Bethany’s family and said, “I’m sorry for everything.”
Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, told the court that Bethany’s friend, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told how they had decided to buy drugs and Bethany began Snapchatting numbers and arrangements were made for the drugs to be collected.
The other girl, who had never taken illegal drugs before, told how they each took a pill and mixed the powder with liquid in a Lucozade bottle which they drank at about 11.15 pm on July 24 last year.
“At some point thereafter Bethany’s behaviour became erratic and hyperactive, screaming at the wall and punching it and screaming at herself in front of a mirror. She then lay on the floor, it was now about 1.15 am, and her friend tried to rouse her but she was unresponsive. She performed CPR and had to call her mother for help.”
Paramedics arrived but they could not revive Bethany, a Hilbre High School pupil. Mr Hopkins said that a pathologist later discovered the drug concentration in her blood was “extremely high, well within the fatal range.” The cause of death was found to be MDMA toxicity due to the quantity consumed.
Police inquiries led to Parrish’s arrest at his home the next day and officers found a small amount of ketamine, cocaine, benzocaine and digital scales with traces of drugs on them.
They also found £515 cash and his mobile phone revealed text messages with the victim arranging to buy the drugs and get them collected.
She later texted him asking if the drugs were “fake” as she had taken a pill and one of the bags of powder and it had not “hit”. Parrish said, “No, it was magic”. When she said she had only taken it ten minutes earlier he said, “ha ha” and explained it took about an hour.
Bethany texted that it was not her first time and later texted back saying, “It’s hit now, it’s amazing” and said she would buy drugs off him again.
Mr Hopkins said that Parrish, who has no similar convictions, was very frank with police and said he had been dealing cocaine and MDMA for three or four months, spending £200 each week and doubling his money. He became upset when told that Bethany had died.
In a poignant impact statement Bethany’s mum, Angela Devlin, who sat in the crowed public gallery with her husband Sean, told how they feel they are the ones given a life sentence.
She said her three younger sons “worshipped” Bethany and the two seven-year-olds, now suffers from night terrors and instead of now talking about Lego they talk about her every day and not about things they would do. “I feel they gave lost their childhood”, she said.
Mrs Devlin described Bethany as “loveable, cheeky and stubborn. Like any 14-year-old she wanted to fit in with her friends.” She added that such teenagers are affected by social media and are easily led.
Bethany’s mum also told how Sean has not been able to accept the loss of his daughter, who had had her life mapped out and planned to work in film special effects and have three children.
John Weate, defending, said, “Social media as well as being a great addition to modern life can also have a substantial and detrimental affect.”
He continued, “This defendant had since he was a child had influences in his life and it was his own father who introduced him to controlled substances. He was himself only 14 or 15 when that occurred.
“As a consequence of that he became a heavy user of cannabis and got into debt and rather foolishly, inappropriately and criminally decided to do what he did,”
After his arrest he accepted responsibility and repeatedly broke down and was distressed, said Mr Weate.
Parrish had pleaded guilty to supplying MDMA to the 14-year-old boy on July 24 last year, two offences of supplying the drug and cocaine between March 1 and July 23, 2018 and possessing cocaine and ketamine, found at his home on July 25.
Police said that no action has been taken against the 14-year-old boy and a 39-year-old man
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