Louella Michie court case: Friend told boyfriend 'fam, just act like you don't know her' as woman was dying of drug overdose at Bestival

Emotional day in court ends after family recount hearing news of daughter's death

Holby City actor John Michie pays tribute to late daughter Louella with mural

The family of a woman who was filmed as she died from a drug overdose at a music festival have given evidence at the trial of the man accused of her manslaugher.

Louella Fletcher-Michie, 24, daughter of Holby City actor John Michie, died after taking the Class A party drug 2-CP at the Dorset music festival Bestival on 11 September 2017.

Ceon Broughton, 29, from Enfield in north London, denies the charge and another of supplying the drug to Fletcher-Michie.

Ms Fletcher-Michie's mother Carol was among those giving evidence at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday.

In a 50-minute video shown to the court on Wednesday, Fletcher-Michie was seen shouting: “This is the best trip I have ever f***ing had.”

Mr Broughton ignored subsequent pleas from her family to seek help and continued to film even after she was dead, jurors at Winchester Crown Court heard.

Jurors were told Fletcher-Michie’s mother eventually contacted Mr Broughton at 6.48pm and heard her daughter “screeching” in the background.

She “dropped everything” and travelled with Mr Michie to the festival site at Lulworth Castle, the court heard.

Fletcher-Michie was found dead by security at around 1am on 11 September 2017 after Mr Broughton left her to seek help, the court was told.

Read below for the developments as they unfolded.

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Key Points

• Ceon Broughton filmed Louella Michie prior to overdose, court hears
• 'This is the best trip I have ever had', deceased declared in video

[7 February 2019 15:37 · adam.lusher]

Mr Kamlish challenged Sam over why he didn't immediately tell police that Broughton had told him he had "bumped it up a bit" in terms of what he gave Louella.

Sam said: "Subconsciously I was trying to protect Ceon because I thought he had done everything he could.

"Subconsciously, I was looking after him."

Mr Kamlish said Sam only went to the police "months later" after he had been "fed information by the police".

After Sam asked the court to check whether it had been months later, it emerged that he had actually told police about Broughton's remark two weeks after giving his first statement.

"You said months later," Sam told Mr Kamlish.  "It's quite a difference."

He also denied that the police had fed the family information, explaining they had been very limited in what they could say.

"The police told us minimal stuff," Sam told the court.  "They hardly told us anything."

He said the real reason why he mentioned Broughton's comment to the police was because "I felt compelled to tell them, because that was the whole truth."

He added: "I hadn't said that in my initial statement because my sister had died the day before and I was emotional.  I was a wreck."

[7 February 2019 15:40 · adam.lusher]

The court is taking a short break before the next witness

[7 February 2019 15:53 · adam.lusher]

Broughton has not returned to the dock after the break. 

The judge has told the jury Broughton hadn’t been feeling very well, but will return to court tomorrow.

[7 February 2019 15:54 · adam.lusher]

Ezra Campbell, who was at Bestival with Broughton and Louella, is about to resume giving his evidence.

The court has already heard that after Louella and Broughton went off to take 2C-P, Mr Campbell was messaged by Louella’s brother Sam.

On Wednesday Mr Campbell told the jury he phoned Broughton at 7.13pm and did not sense that anything was amiss.

“I could hear singing and it sounded like she was having fun,” Mr Campbell said from the witness box on Wednesday.

Later, however, Broughton sent Mr Campbell an audio clip on which Louella could be heard screaming, the court heard.

The jury was told that Mr Campbell phoned Broughton and asked “Should I call an ambulance”?

Mr Campbell told the court: “That was the moment I stopped and realised there was a problem.”

Mr Campbell has returned to the witness box now that Louella’s parents, brother and sister have finished giving evidence.

[7 February 2019 16:01 · adam.lusher]

Mr Campbell is being asked about the messages that went back and forth between him and Broughton on the night.

Mr Campbell says that in one message, he told Broughton to call an ambulance for Louella.

The court heard that Broughton replied, "I can't get bagged [arrested]."

Mr Campbell, the court heard, replied: "Fam, just act like you don't know her."

Mr Campbell explained to the court that he was telling Broughton, "If you are worried about getting arrested, just act like you don't know her."

[7 February 2019 16:05 · adam.lusher]

Mr Campbell said he began looking for Broughton and Louella but he couldn't find them.

[7 February 2019 16:12 · adam.lusher]

Mr Kamlish is starting his cross-examination of Mr Campbell.  He has said he wants to take him though his messages and subsequent statements in detail.  He has told the court he doubts he will be able to finish the cross-examination today.

[7 February 2019 16:14 · adam.lusher]

The court has heard that Mr Campbell received a message from Sam asking him where he was and saying, "Louella just called my mum.  She's having a bad trip, bugging out."

[7 February 2019 16:16 · adam.lusher]

Mr Campbell agrees with Mr Kamlish when he says "The very first time you speak to him [Broughton], he says 'Get the medics'."

[7 February 2019 16:23 · adam.lusher]

Mr Kamlish says that Broughton also tried to give Mr Campbell his and Louella's location, but the message never got through.