Leah Heyes: Two youths sentenced for supplying fatal ecstasy 'bombs' to the teenager

The teenager took two 'bombs' of ecstasy on the night she died after she was warned 'yous are going to end up f***ed up on this' by the youth who passed her the drug.

Teesside Crown Court heard how paramedics were called to Northallerton’s Applegarth Park after Leah collapsed before the teenager was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where she later died.

A judge said her death was a tragic waste of life which was fuelled by the 'evil' drug culture of young people.

Leah Heyes with her mother Kerry Roberts

The teenager's friend Mitchell Southern was the one who handed the Class A drug to Leah last May while Connor Kirkwood has admitted supplying Southern with the ecstasy in the car park where the youngster died last May.

Vicki Lamballe, prosecuting, said Leah Heyes was told by Southern that 'yous are going to end up f***ed up on this' after passing her a MDMA vomb - the drug wrapped in a cigarette paper.

She said CCTV operators were concerned about the behaviour of Leah and called the police who attended the car park before she collapsed.

Her pregnant mother, Kerry, was also called and arrived at the scene as her daugher slipped into unconsciousness.

Flowers being laid in tribute to Leah Heyes

Southern, 19, of Dondeen Avenue, Thirsk, pleaded guilty to a charge of supplying ecstasy on May 11 last year.

While Kirkwood, 18, of Lynx Lane, Dishforth Airfield, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine and ecstasy on the same day.

Robert Mochrie, in mitigation for Southern, said his client wanted to express his apologises to Leah's family for the pain he has caused.

He said: "Nothing can compare to that, he is a person who has behaved stupidly and found himself in a position where one of his friends tragically died."

And Helen Chapman, representing Kirkwood, said her client had raised concerns about the amount of drugs the young people had been taking on the day Leah died.

She added: "Connor Kirkwood is sorry, he is not just sorry for himself or the position he finds himself in, he is sorry that he dealt drugs to those young people that night and his actions led to the death of Leah."

Judge Jonathan Carroll said the drug culture among young people had robbed Leah of her future, as well as ruining the lives of the two defendants.

"This case it tragic, truly tragic, first and foremost tragic for Leah Heyes,"he said. "I pay tribute to her mother who is present in court today showing great bravery and fortitude.

"She was just 15-years-old, she had everything to love for; the excitement that is rightfully held by young people in anticipation of their futures, a new sister on the way who she didn't get to meet.

"All that hope and aspiration for the future extinguished because of the evil that drugs represent in our society."

Southern was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders' institute while Kirkwood was sentenced to 21 months detention.

Last week, an inquest into the tragic death of the teenager heard two doses of MDMA known as 's***bombs' bought for £10 killed the teenager.

Speaking after her daughter's inquest, mum Kerry said she had just returned from a two-night stay in hospital in connection with her pregnancy when she received the phone call that every parent dreads, to tell her Leah had died after taking the drug, MDMA.

The teenager's funeral

While her world fell apart, she took strength from her unborn child, and after the conclusion of a coroner's inquest today into the drug-death of her daughter, she has also spoken out about the dangers of drugs, warning that children are dying.

Ava at Leah's memorial

She said her baby daughter, Ava Leah Rose, saved her during the tragic time: "I always say she saved me, I could have gone any way but I didn’t I wanted to look after her, my partner and family have been brilliant, I have had a lot of support so much support."