Louella Fletcher-Michie trial: Jury reminded how Ceon Broughton filmed girlfriend as she died from drug overdose at Bestival
Trial due to finish on Wednesday as jury begin deliberations
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The jury in the trial of Ceon Broughton, the man accused of manslaughter over the drug overdose death of Louella Fletcher-Michie at a music festival, will shortly begin their deliberations.
Mr Broughton’s barrister, Stephen Kamlish QC, urged the jury on Tuesday morning in his closing statement not to seek “vengeance” over Ms Fletcher-Michie’s death at Bestival in September 2017.
The court heard during the course of the trial how the 29-year-old filmed his on-off girlfriend as she overdosed on class A substance 2-CP at the music event the night before her 25th birthday.
Mr Broughton denies any wrongdoing.
On the final day of testimony, the jury were reminded by the judge how Mr Broughton filmed his dying girlfriend for 50 mins as she suffered from the overdose.
The prosecution claim he supplied the drugs to Ms Fletcher-Michie and should have organised medical help as soon as he realised she was struggling.
But Mr Kamlish told the jury they should not see the case in hindsight.
"If you think ‘morally wrong’; ‘he should have done more’ and ‘if he gave the drugs, he should pay’; ‘he should not have been thinking of himself’ … We all think those things, all of us normal people, including Ceon – now, in hindsight.
“But that is not the basis on which you should decide this case, [although] it is tempting to do so.”
Mr Broughton had realised just how ill Ms Fletcher-Michie was and his video showed not that he was callous or indifferent, but unaware how close to death the 24-year-old was.
The jury heard how Mr Broughton had tried to get help, telling another friend at Bestival where the pair were.
But the judge also reminded them how he had spoken with Ms Fletcher-Michie's mother and brother on the phone during the evening, who pleaded with him to take her to the medical tent.
Despite being just 400m from the medical tent, Mr Broughton did not take her to professional help.
Instead, he continued filming as his girlfriend gradually died over several hours, during which she became incoherent and even screamed "like a wild animal".
Mr Broughton is charged with gross negligence manslaughter and supplying a Class A drug.
If found guilty and sentenced to the maximum possible term of imprisonment, he could face 18 years in jail.
To read updates from the trial as it happened, see our live coverage below:
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Hello and welcome to The Independent's coverage of the Louella Fletcher-Michie manslaughter trial from Winchester Crown Court.
Adam Lusher again reports live from the court as Stephen Kamlish QC, barrister of the accused, Ceon Broughton, gives his closing speech before the judge's summing up is expected to take place.
Stephen Kamlish QC, defending, has begun his opening speech by telling the jury: “This case is not about morals. It is about criminal responsibility decided on the very stringent basis that you must go through.
“This is not case about vengeance, although there is a temptation to think someone needs to pay.
“It is not about giving the family something to ease their pain. Nothing can or will do that.
“The offence of gross negligence manslaughter is unique in UK law. It makes criminals of people, in this case, Ceon, who desired the opposite of the death of the deceased.”
This, Mr Kamlish explains, is different from unlawful act manslaughter where you intend to harm someone.
“Of course he wasn’t charged with that, because he didn’t mean for Louella either to suffer or die.
“This is a very strange crime for someone to be accused of: bringing death but wanting the opposite to happen .”
He warns the jury: “If you think ‘morally wrong’; ‘he should have done more’ and ‘if he gave the drugs, he should pay’; ‘he should not have been thinking of himself’ … We all think those things, all of us normal people, including Ceon – now, in hindsight.
“But that is not the basis on which you should decide this case.”
Although, Mr Kamlish adds, “It is tempting to do so.”
Mr Broughton last week refused to give evidence at his own trial.
The 29-year-old denies manslaughter by gross negligence and supplying the party drug 2-CP, of which Ms Fletcher-Michie died of an overdose.
Turning to Broughton’s decision to avoid going into the witness box to give evidence in his defence, Mr Kamlish says: “You all feel cheated by him not having got in the witness box. Everyone was waiting for him to tell his side of the story.
“But this, with the greatest respect, is superficial analysis, because you already know almost everything already.”
The jury already had a log of Broughton’s messages, Mr Kamlish said.
“You know what he said, you know what he did. There is no additional answer from the one you have got.”
Returning to the theme of Broughton never having wanted Louella to die, Mr Kamlish says: “He clearly didn’t think more [action to help] was required, however much you think that was wrong.
“This was his girlfriend, who some say he loved. She certainly loved him.
“He would have done more if he thought it was the right thing to do.
“The Crown don’t say he desired her to suffer. They just say he didn’t do more and he should have done more.”
Mr Kamlish said that had Broughton gone into the witness box, “He could have cried, as he has done quietly throughout this trial.
“He could have said, ‘I am sorry’, because in hindsight of course he is sorry. Of course he could have done more. With hindsight, it’s obvious.”
Turning to one of the most striking aspects of the case, Mr Kamlish says: “You will ask why he filmed and filmed to the end.
“None of us condone this [but] people who live certain lives spend their lives filming everything they do for the Instagram and the Snapchat.”
Mr Kamlish added that as Broughton filmed Louella, he told her ‘When this is all over, you will want to show it to your mum.’
“That,” said Mr Kamlish, “Is how ironic and tragic this case is.”
Broughton’s filming, Mr Kamlish said, actually points to his innocence.
“The act of him filming until so late must have meant he didn’t fear she was going to die.”
Mr Kamlish adds: "Any decent person, as Ceon is, once you realise someone is at risk of dying, you are going to stop filming and do something else quickly."
He tells the jury: "The act of the filming assists you in seeing he didn't realise the seriousness, however stupid that may be."
Turning to whether Broughton supplied the drugs to Louella, Mr Kamlish questions the prosecution evidence that on the night, Broughton told Louella's brother Sam he upped the dose, using the words "I bumped it up"
But, Mr Kamlish says, "You have to be sure about that [and] the only evidence for that is from Sam."
He insists that Sam's assertion from the witness box that the mobile phone signal was good enough for him to have heard Broughton's words clearly was "wrong".
Other witnesses, he says, testified that the mobile phone signal was bad.
"If there is doubt that Sam heard this incorrectly, you have to acquit Ceon."
He reminds the jury that Louella might have brought her own drug supply to Bestival.
"Louella herself was looking for 'the big one' for her birthday. She wanted to do something druggy on her birthday."
Her pills were confiscated at the Bestival entrance, Mr Kamlish said, but Louella managed to "sweet talk" security into giving them back.
Mr Kamlish says: "I am not suggesting the pills she had on Saturday were the ones she took on Sunday. [But] what it does demonstrate to you is she had her own pills."
He adds: "We know, Friday night, Saturday morning she offered a pill to a band member.
"She shows how easy it was to get things at the festival and she had her own."
Mr Kamlish asserts that nearly everyone was wrong in asserting that Broughton thought he had given Louella 2C-P.
Broughton, he says, told everyone he thought he had given her the related drug 2C-B.
"And he really did believe it because he kept on saying it."
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