Court hears how drugs killed girl

A judge has asked questions about why a man who supplied the drugs that killed his girlfriend has not been brought to court.

Judge Anthony Thorpe was speaking at the sentencing of another man for his part in the supply of drugs to 15-year-old Trudy Williams who died from an overdose of ecstasy on August 23, 2006.

Trudy had gone to stay with a woman called Kirsty Netherway at her flat in Aldwick Road, Bognor Regis. Miss Netherway had got to know Trudy while going out with her uncle.

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Chichester Crown Court heard that drugs were ordered for a party due to take place at Miss Netherway's flat and that several people including Mike Gold and Trudy's boyfriend Simon Mates were to attend.

The court heard that Trudy had experimented with drugs since the age of 12. On the night she died she had been drinking heavily as well as taking ecstasy.

In the early hours of the morning she said she was going for a walk but was not seen again until 9am the next day when her body was discovered in a communal stairwell.

Gold (47), who last lived at Millington Drive, Selsey, admitted one charge of supplying a controlled drug. He handled the drugs after Mr Mates had ordered them.

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Judge Thorpe said that while Gold didn't order or pay for the drugs, it did not make him any less of a supplier.

"If true, it was Simon who gave the drug he had ordered and paid for to that unfortunate girl, the drugs that caused her death. Simon is not before the court and I do not understand why not ."

Gold was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work.