A PROSECUTOR has told a jury that a teenager did not care about the young girl he is accused of killing by allegedly supplying her with drugs.
Graeme Jessop told the High Court in Glasgow that James McCairn, 18, only cared about profit after he is said to have sold MDMA to Cerys Reeve, 14, from his home in Greenock on July 13, 2020.
McCairn is on trial charged with the culpable homicide of Cerys by unlawfully supplying her with ecstasy.
He is also accused of being concerned in the supply of ecstasy.
Mr Jessop told the 13 jurors in his closing speech that there are a variety of reasons to link McCairn with the death of Cerys.
He stated that her cause of death was by MDMA toxicity.
Mr Jessop recalled that Cerys had told two friends that she was sold the drug by McCairn.
He said: "In the early hours of the morning, she went to McCairn's home and was sold a tenner bag and [took] it back to her friend's house."
Mr Jessop then stated that one of the friends was asked under cross examination about others selling drugs in the Greenock area and responded that McCairn “was the only person who sold drugs near me in walking distance”.
Mr Jessop also referenced another friend who stated that she saw Cerys in the vicinity of McCairn's home on Snapchat maps at the time.
The prosecutor also mentioned CCTV evidence which jurors were shown.
He said: "The CCTV evidence is consistent with a female figure being Cerys going from her friend's road to the general short distance to McCairn's address."
Mr Jessop then took the jury to adverts for drugs which McCairn allegedly put on his Snapchat story.
He said: "We know that he was creating the adverts to sell MDMA that Monday, July 13 and shortly before the supply to Cerys."
A text message sent by a friend of Cerys to McCairn after she found out that she had died was then recalled by Mr Jessop.
McCairn allegedly sent "I gave her Mandy (MDMA)”.
Mr Jessop remarked: "In the context of July 13 at the time Cerys was dead, is that not a clear admission on the morning that she died that McCairn gave her Mandy?"
Mr Jessop then told the jury: "He knew when he sold her that that she was alone when she arrived at his house.
"He knew that she was away from her home without adult supervision.
"He just didn't care about her age or vulnerability, all he cared about at the time was selling his drugs for profit regardless of the circumstances."
Mr Jessop ended his speech by touching on other witnesses who claimed to have been sold drugs by McCairn.
This included McCairn allegedly asking for money over text message and having a tick list according to a drugs specialist police officer.
Mr Jessop said: "I invite you to find McCairn guilty of both charges."
Gary Allan QC, defending, began his closing speech by telling the jury that it would be “remarkable” if they did not convict McCairn of the drugs supply charge.
The advocate went on to say: “There is not much I can say about James McCairn being involved in drugs or he had MDMA available, there is not much I can say that he sold drugs to others at the times they described.
“It’s agreed Cerys died as a result of taking a drug of that type but ladies and gentlemen that’s not enough.”
Mr Allan claimed that the alleged statements made by Cerys to friends about purchasing from McCairn was “not subject to scrutiny in any way”.
Mr Allan recalled evidence jurors heard from a friend of Cerys that she heard the purchase on FaceTime.
He later said: “How do we know that the drug that she had wasn’t already in her possession?
“How do we know she didn’t have the drug at all?
“Did anyone see James McCairn on FaceTime and the answer to that is no, did anyone hear a voice?
“Despite any indication she could, the witness who did had never met James McCairn and the Crown is asking you to take a punt on that.”
The trial continues before Judge John McCormick.
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