Dealer guilty of killing teenager after Snapchat Ecstasy sale

Cerys Reeve died after taking the drug during a sleepover at a friend's house

A teenage drug dealer has been convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl after he supplied her with the drug Ecstasy.

James McCairn, 18, sold crystal MDMA to Cerys Reeve after advertising his illegal trade on Snapchat.

The young dancer died after taking the drug during a sleepover at a friend's house in Greenock in July 2020.

First offender McCairn was found guilty of culpable homicide following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Prosecutors said he had "recklessly and unlawfully" given the deadly class A drug to Cerys at his home in Greenock.

McCairn was also found guilty of supplying Ecstasy to other young people in the town between November 2019 and July 2020.

James McCairn advertised his illegal trade on Snapchat

His QC had asked for McCairn, who was only 16 at the time of the death, to remain on bail pending sentencing next month.

But judge John McCormick remanded him custody, saying his commercial drug dealing had resulted in tragic consequences.

The trial heard how McCairn had been advertising pills for sale on the morning of 13 July 2020.

Cerys had been at a friend's house before going to McCairn's to purchase MDMA.

She returned and mixed the powder into a cup of juice before taking it.

When her friend came back into the room after making a toastie, Cerys was described as "acting really weird".

This initially included her not being able to control her arms and kicking items off a window ledge.

The witness went on to describe Cerys as grunting, sweating and falling off the bed, which woke the girl's mother.

She then started burning up and suffered a seizure.

MDMA toxicity

A 999 call was immediately made and the teenager was taken to Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

Cerys was described as "rigid all over" and put on a ventilator.

The talented dancer never recovered and was pronounced dead at 0808.

The cause of death was "MDMA toxicity".

In his closing speech to the jury, prosecutor Graeme Jessop said: "McCairn just did not care about Cerys's age or vulnerability.

"All he cared about at the time was selling his drugs for profit regardless of the circumstances."

After the verdict, Mr Jessop told Judge McCormick of the heartbreak Cerys's family had suffered.

The advocate depute added: "As we have heard, Cerys Reeve was 14 and lived in Port Glasgow with her parents.

"She was the only child to her mother. She has an older half sister.

"She was at school in Port Glasgow and was due to start fourth year when she died.

"Her parents elected not to attend court proceedings due to the upset and distress at their daughter's death."