This has destroyed the heart of our family

Grace’s mum and dad hit out as teen accused of ecstasy death walks free from court

- SALLY HIND

THE heartbroken family of ecstasy death schoolgirl Grace Handling have said the not proven verdict against the teenager accused of killing her “will not serve as a warning” to young people.

Grace’s devastated parents Stewart and Lorraine said the decision yesterday to acquit 19-year-old Callum Owens of killing their daughter by recklessly supplying her with the drug at his house in Irvine more than two years ago would send a dangerous message.

And the family said they wanted Grace to be remembered as a “loving, caring” daughter and sister, saying she was not portrayed during the harrowing five-day trial as the girl she really was.

Owens walked free from the High Court in Glasgow yesterday. Grace died from ecstasy intoxication after taking ecstasy he gave her at his home on the last day of school on June 28, 2018.

The teenager fled his home after waking to find Grace dead in the morning, saying he panicked after failing to resuscitate her. He said he was too afraid to phone an ambulance or call for help.

But the defence urged the jury to acquit Owens, who confessed to police the next day that he had given Grace the drug, saying the schoolgirl had experimented with drugs before and made the fateful choice to take them herself. Grace’s mum Lorraine, 47, said the not proven verdict could be seen to give those considering taking and supplying drugs a “free pass”.

She added: “I think the law should be there to protect 13-year-old girls and boys. Parents can only do so much and once they leave your house drugs are available through all sorts of means, whether it’s sitting in people’s houses or through social media.