The dad of ecstasy death schoolgirl Grace Handling has launched a petition in his bid to see new laws target killer drug dealers.
Grace’s dad Stewart is calling for Grace’s Law after the 13-year-old daughter was killed by class A drugs given to her on her last day of school.
He wants to see a standalone offence for causing death by supply after watching the man who gave his daughter the deadly drug walk free from court.
We told last month how Justice Secretary Angela Constance has agreed to meet with Stewart and “carefully consider” his proposal.
And now a petition calling for support for his campaign has gathered hundreds of signatures in just a matter of days.
Stewart, from Irvine, Ayrshire, said: “Please sign this and help bring justice to victims’ families.”
Grace died after taking ecstasy in 2018 at the home of chef Callum Owens, 22.
He went on trial on a culpable homicide charge and admitted in court he gave Grace the pill which killed her before fleeing his home while she lay unresponsive on the living room floor.
The jury heard he messaged a friend saying he had “killed a c***, man,” saying he was “probably never coming back”.
He denied culpable homicide and a jury cleared Owens on a not proven verdict.
Stewart believes the charge of culpable homicide is “not fit for purpose” in prosecuting drugs deaths and is allowing dealers to walk free with no conviction at all - even in cases where supply is proved.
He wants to see cases like Grace’s go to court under new legislation.
In his campaign, Stewart has also cited the tragic case of Rebecca Tollan, after two men were cleared of killing the new mum by supplying her with high purity cocaine in November.
The 23-year-old had given birth just weeks earlier and was on her first night out since her pregnancy when she collapsed and died in Bellshill, Lanarkshire in July 2019.
Prosecutors accepted no one had “forced” the new mum to take drugs but, advocate depute Alex Prentice KC said the accused knew it was high end cocaine and their behaviour was “reckless”.
The accused were found not guilty of culpable homicide.
Stewart said: “I’m calling for a standalone charge for the supply of lethal drugs under The Misuse of Drugs Act.
“Culpable homicide is far too easy for drug dealers to wriggle free. This has got to be stopped, for the sake of justice and as a deterrent to the hundreds of drug dealers in every village, town and city up and down Scotland.”
Justice Secretary Angela Constance branded Grace’s case “tragic” and said she “welcomes the opportunity” to discuss Stewart’s campaign in September.
You can support Stewart's petition here.
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