A teenager arrested after the death of a 15-year-old girl on Caerphilly Mountain has been jailed for 12 months.
The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced at Cwmbran Youth Court on Thursday, August 24, after admitting two charges of supplying drugs MDMA and cannabis. He initially denied the charges at a previous hearing, but later changed his plea.
The court was told how the teen, from the Gelligaer area, was arrested as part of a Gwent Police investigation into teen drug use following the death of 15-year-old Shauna Davies.
Miss Davies, of Graig y Rhacca, died in the early hours of Sunday, June 18, after emergency services were called to a wooded area just off Caerphilly Mountain Road, Caerphilly town.
Prosecuting solicitor Chris Rose said: “I am told by the police there had been recent problems in the Caerphilly area with the culture of drugs and the supply of MDMA.”
As part of an investigation, Mr Rose said, police took statements from witnesses who said the defendant had sold three grams of ‘caramel’ MDMA for a sum of £30 to Shauna Davies and a friend.
The defendant had warned the pair not to take much as it was “strong”.
Another witness told police they had been sold cannabis by the defendant earlier in the year. The court was told the defendant had been dealing drugs for a number of months prior to his arrest.
Kevin Seal, defending, said his client had genuine remorse for the consequences of his actions.
He said: “There was a limited supply to persons known to him and he accepts they would have been under 18, even 16. It is right to say from the outset that as far as the prosecution is concerned, there is no link between the defendant supplying drugs and the death of the young girl Shauna.
“It is clear that within Caerphilly Borough, in that time, there was widespread drug dealing and taking by those under 18.
“Large scale parties, disguised as camping expeditions up the mountain, involved large numbers of children able to consume alcohol and drugs – effectively at will.
“It is also right to say they received and purchased their drugs from others who have never been brought before the court, and certainly it cannot be said that my client was the sole source to those people.
“It will continue to be a problem, unfortunately, until the authorities are able to get a grip on what is taking place by the adolescents in that area.”
Painting a picture of a boy with a troubled upbringing and attachment issues, Mr Seal said the defendant had started selling drugs in a misguided bid to impress those in his peer group, and older youngsters, to gain their “respect”.
Mr Seal said others had exploited his defendant, who he described as vulnerable, and that he had made no profit through his drug dealing.
He added: “He cannot turn the clock back, he wishes he could.”
Sentencing the teenager, District Judge Richard Williams said it was the aim of the youth justice system to prevent offending by children and young persons.
He told the teenager: “You decided to be a drug dealer. You decided to deal drugs to people younger than yourself – children. You decided to do that because you thought it made you look good.”
He continued: “You were selling it on a professional basis. Every time one of your young customers took MDMA, they took a significant risk to their lives and health.
“What you did was so serious, only a custodial sentence can be justified.”
Because of his guilty plea, the 17-year-old’s term was reduced from 18 months to 12 months. He will serve half in custody and the remainder out on licence.
When asked by Caerphilly Observer to comment on the claims made by Mr Seal about a perceived drug problem in the area, Gwent Police declined.
A pre-inquest hearing, held last month, was told a cause of death for Miss Davies had yet to be established.