Coroner Halts Acton Teen's Inquest | |||||
University lecturer could face manslaughter charges
A former university lecturer who admitted possessing drugs at a house where an Acton schoolgirl died, could face manslaughter charges against him and his partner. 15-year-old Isobel Jones-Reilly (known as Issy) from Ramsay Road in W3 collapsed and died in April last year after taking ecstasy at an unsupervised party in the west London home of Brian Dodgeon and Angela Hadjipateras. Dodgeon, 61, a former research fellow at the University of London’s Institute of Education was given a suspended sentence at London’s Isleworth Crown Court in December for possession of class A drugs, including ecstasy, LSD, ketamine and a psychedelic drug known as foxy methoxy. Yesterday, the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court heard how, despite falling ill after taking ecstasy pills, Issy told friends not to call an ambulance in fear of getting into trouble. Today the coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, adjourned the inquest hearing saying new evidence had come to light and questions needed to be asked as to whether Isobel's death could have been prevented. She said: 'It’s with an extremely heavy heart that I apply my duty to adjourn because, in my view, it is likely that a charge of gross negligence manslaughter could be brought against either Ms Hadjipateras or Mr Dodgeon.'' Dr Fiona Wilcox adjourned the case and referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Read more here. 2nd August 2012 |