DRUG USER JAILED FOR MANSLAUGHTER

HEROIN USER DIED WITHIN FIVE MUNITES OF INJECTING HIMSELF

Source : 24/05/2001 Northampton Chronicle and Echo

A Heroin abuser who turned to the Jesus Army for help, today started a three-year jail term for his part in the death of a fellow junkie.

The 33-year-old Portugese national, who came to the Northampton area to join the religious sect, was convicted of the manslaughter of Eddie Escott, who at the time of his death was, like the man, a resident of the town's Oak Street night shelter.

On August 27 Mr Escott, aged 34, had gone halves with the man in buying £10 worth of heroin. They then went to a block of flats, Alliston Gardens, which was the haunt of junkies.

The Man prepared a syringe, passed it to Mr Escott who within five minutes of being injected was dead.

The jury took four hours to reach its 10-2 majority decision.

Passing sentence, Judge Julian Hall told the man: 'Both of you were heroin users. As far as we know Mr Escott was someone who smoked heroin. On the day in question, the pair of you bought heroin. It was you who prepared everything.'

'You prepared the syringe and handed it to him. He was injecting himself probably for the first time and within five minutes he was dead.'

The judge added: 'He had injected himself with heroin knowing what it was and knowing what he was doing. But you played a part in his death'.

The man also received a nominal one day's imprisonment after he pleaded guilty in the absence of the jury to simple possession of heroin.