Mother Who Supplied Cocaine used by Student to take her Own Life Avoids Jail
A mother who supplied a Class A drug used by a student to commit suicide has avoided jail. Francesca Davies gave Shruti Baral an amount of cocaine the day before she was found dead in her bedroom by her teenage brother. Miss Baral, also 22, who was originally from Hong Kong, had not been in the habit of taking drugs, an earlier inquest heard. Shruti had scrawled ‘take my organs’ on her wrist and posted a desperate final message on Face book before killing herself.She had uploaded a picture of herself with a farewell note asking her followers if they would remember her if she died.
Davies admitted being concerned in supplying the cocaine. Police officers went with a warrant for her at other addresses in the town but she made contact in June. The Hilton hotel worker had obtained the drug for Miss Baral from a boyfriend, who was a drug dealer, Maidstone Crown Court was told.
Judge David Griffith-Jones QC stressed there was no suggestion Davies knew of Miss Baral’s plan to kill herself in February last year. He said, ‘I don’t treat Miss Baral’s sad demise as an aggravating feature. You are a young woman of previous good character. I am satisfied it is appropriate to regard this as something of an aberration – something that was quite out of character for you. I accept your remorse is genuine and there is a low risk of re-offending. While I take the view a prison sentence is demanded given the seriousness of the offence, mitigation and the effect your immediate incarceration would have on your very young child lead me to say it can be properly suspended. I very much hope you do not let me down and find yourself back here for breaching requirements.”
At Miss Baral’s inquest in August 2013, coroner Patricia Harding recorded a verdict of suicide. Miss Baral was a former pupil at Invicta Grammar School in Maidstone.
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