A MAN who supplied a teenage girl with drugs that killed her and which he knew had killed before, has been jailed for more than six years.

Luke Carey, 25, appeared before York Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to supplying 16-year-old Poppy Rodgers with 4-methylamphetamine, a Class A designer drug similar to crystal meth, prior to her death.

York College student Poppy collapsed at a house in Tang Hall Lane on April 19, 2012, and died within hours, York Crown Court heard.

Carey ignored warnings not to supply the drug to Poppy and pressed her to take more as she lay intoxicated on a sofa, said Nick Worsley, prosecuting. After she collapsed, he followed her to hospital but did not tell the paramedics or the doctors treating her about the drug.

Mr Worsley said Carey was bragging about the drug when he brought it to the house on April 19, 2012, where Poppy and others were, and how he had got it cheaply from another man because it was the same drug that had killed John Causer, 22, of Middleton Road, Acomb, a year earlier.

Speaking outside court yesterday, Poppy’s parents, Mark and Ann Rodgers, said her death “feels like murder” and spoke of their anguish at losing their only child, who was also an only grandchild.

Det Chief Insp Nigel Costello of North Yorkshire Police said Carey “played roulette with other people’s lives” in the house in Tang Hall Lane where Carey gave Poppy and a young man called Jamie Kelly the drug on April 19, 2012. Mr Kelly also collapsed and had fits and other side effects before recovering.

Carey, of Waterings, Wigginton, pleaded guilty to supplying Poppy and Jamie with 4-methylamphetamine, possessing 95.3g of the same drug worth between £950 and £3,000 on the streets with intent to supply it and four charges of offering to supply it in the Tang Hall Lane house. He showed no reaction as he was jailed for six years and five months nor when he was led in handcuffs to the prison van.

Poppy’s father Mark, with her mother Ann at his side, said outside court: “The sentence will never be enough as Ann and I had our daughter taken from us, which I understand in law may not be murder, but it certainly feels like that to us. No sentence will replace our loss.

“Adults may choose to take drugs, but those prepared to give drugs to a child is beyond belief. Carey gave this poison to my little girl in the full knowledge that it had already killed.” He said: “She was naturally beautiful. She was full of fun and totally trusting. There is now a hole in the world that will be there for years to come that should have been filled by her magic. That is a loss to everybody.”

He said Poppy enjoyed violin playing, dancing and horse riding. He said: “There are other people who should feel some responsibility for what happened to Poppy. Adults who should know that when a teenage girl is lost, as they often are, you should point her back to the safety of her family, not encourage them to stay away or conceal them. Adults who, that night, on seeing a child in trouble, could and should have done so much more but did not.

“Unfortunately, Poppy came into contact with so many who acted immorally and, whilst we won’t ever see justice for that, we hope that they live with their share of the responsibility of what happened to Poppy on their minds for the rest of their lives.”

He praised Poppy’s young friends for their maturity and support in the 15 months since her death.

Judge Michael Mettyear told Carey that though Poppy had had difficulties in her last months that had led to her losing weight: “There was no reason to think Poppy would not have come through and lived a long and productive happy life. She charmed everyone who met her and she was incredibly popular”.

Carey had tried to blame others for her death and continued to lie even after pleading guilty at the last moment.

He was arrested within four hours of Poppy’s death just after midnight on April 20. Police found nearly 100g of the drug buried in his garden, which he claimed had been put there by others.

He also claimed to police he had been stitched up by those he tried to supply and that everyone in the house were “criminals”. He only pleaded guilty after his girlfriend gave a police statement against him.

Richard Reed, Carey’s solicitor advocate, said: “He will have to live for the rest of his life with the consequences of his action.”

He said Carey had not sold the drug, but shared it socially and had not intended to harm anyone. Normally he was an “industrious” young man who worked hard and who had learned a hard lesson. He too had taken the drug that night.

Mr Worsley said Poppy had taken seven times the amount Carey had taken.

The judge said he found it difficult to believe claims that Carey was remorseful for his action.


Killer drug is still available

After the sentence, Det Chief Inspector Nigel Costello, revealed the drug that killed Poppy Rodgers was still available in the York area.

He said: “Since Poppy’s death there have been other seizures of 4-methylamphetamine in the North Yorkshire Police area, some of which are ongoing investigations. However, the presence of this particular drug is still relatively rare on our streets.

“This tragic case highlights the very real dangers of taking drugs. Often people don’t know what they are taking, how strong the drug is or what it has been mixed with.

“My advice to people is: if you are thinking of taking drugs, think again.”