A WOMAN supplied a teenager with heroin the night before he was found dead in bed, a court heard.

Peter Dolan, 17, arranged the deal with Donna Couzens, 26, from a phone box in Hough-ton-le-Spring, just hours before he choked on his vomit.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the woman drove to a secret rendezvous where she handed over the drug shortly after receiving the call.

Peter then went to a friend's house in Houghton-le-Spring where he took the drug before heading home.

Tim Parkin, prosecuting, told the court: "It is not medical evidence that the heroin he took was contaminated or he took an overdose, but is does seem to be one of those dreadful accidents attendant with the use of drugs of this kind. What seems to have happened is, under the influence of heroin and Ecstasy, he regurgitated and it went to his lungs and caused his death."

Ms Couzens, of Beech Grove, Burnhope, denies supplying the class A drug, but prosecutors say they can link her to the deal via telephone records.

Mr Parkin said: "The call box number was checked and a call had been made from that call box to a portable phone which, say the prosecution, the defendant had access to because it was registered to a friend of hers."

An eye-witness, who cannot be named, yesterday identified Ms Couzens as the person who handed the drug to Peter.

The trial continues.