Ecstasy death: Grace Handling 'died in the arms of teen accused of killing her'

Callum Owens, 19, denies the culpable homicide of Grace at his home in Arran Place, Irvine, on June 28, 2018, by supplying her with Ecstasy.

His friend Alisha McLean, 18, from Stevenson, told the High Court in Glasgow that she received messages from Owens on Facebook messenger at 2.58pm on June 29, 2018.

He began by saying: “Oft I’m going probably never coming back,” and, minutes later, revealed: “Killed a c*** man.”

Ms McLean asked Owens “How,” and he replied: “They choked on their sick in my gaff. She then asked: “You never killed them then,” and Owens told her: “I gave her the pills though.”

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The jury heard that Owens begged his friend not to hate him and said the death had scarred him.

Owens when asked who was dead in his house replied: “Wee Grace Handling,” and added: “Tried to give her CPR and everything she actually died in my arms. It’s all my fault. I’m surprised I’m no greeting yet. She was just a wee lassie.”

Ms McLean told Owens: “It wasn’t you though she took it.” She then suggested that Owens should phone the police and claim he found her lying outside his house.

Later on in the chat Owens stated: “I feel asleep and she choked on her whitey. It’s all my fault.”

Defence QC Donald Findlay asked Ms McLean: “Is whitey vomit,” and she said: “Yes.”

Mr Findlay then asked: “Does he say that he fell asleep and his impression is she had choked in some way and he thought she was dead. He started to do something about it, but there was nothing he could do because he was dead,” and Ms McLean replied: “Yes.”

Grace’s sister, Danielle Handling, 20, told the court she and her mother warned her about the dangers of ecstasy in February 2018 - four months before her death.

The chat took place after one of Grace’s friends was admitted to hospital after taking Ecstasy.

Ms Handling said: “Me and my mum gave her a hard time about taking them and she stopped taking them.”

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Defence counsel Donald Findlay asked Miss Handling if she thought Grace had stopped taking the drug.

She said: “Yes, I was sure she stopped taking it.”

The court heard Ms Handling contacted Owens on Facebook messenger on the morning of June 29 to ask if he knew where she was.

Owens told her they were together the night before, but denied knowing her whereabouts.

He said: “She was at mine, I left about 9 and so did she, dunno where she went.”

The court also heard from a schoolgirl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

She said that she spoke to Grace on the phone at around 8pm on June 28, 2018.

She told prosecutor Alex Prentice QC: “She couldn’t get any of her words out, she was slurring her words “She told me she had took three blue pills. I knew she meant Ecstasy. She said she was at home, but I could tell she wasn’t.”

Mr Prentice asked the witness: “Did you ask her where she got the pills from.” The 15-year-old replied: “She wouldn’t tell me. She said she didn’t know.”

The schoolgirl said she tried later to contact Grace by text and phone to make sure she was alright, but got no reply. Owens, of Arran Place, Irvine, Ayrshire, denies the culpable homicide of Grace, from Irvine, by recklessly and unlawfully supplying a lethal drug to her on June 28, 2018.

Prosecutors state that Grace ingested the drug to the danger of her health, safety and life, and died as a consequence of this and Owens killed her.

He is also accused of being concerned in the supply of Ecstasy from addresses in Irvine and at Largs train station between June 25 and 29, 2018.

The trial before Lord Matthews continues.