Manslaughter prosecutions of those involved in supplying drugs and legal highs: an analysis

August 15, 2018

Richard Barraclough QC and Gordon Menzies recently prosecuted an individual who sold ‘DNP’ slimming pills over the internet for offences of manslaughter in what has been described as a ‘landmark case’. The defendant received a total sentence of 7 years imprisonment.

This case may well have implications on previous reluctance to prosecute for manslaughter those who supply drugs and so called legal highs to young or vulnerable individuals who then die.

In this detailed paper examining this case, Richard Barraclough QC and Gordon Menzies outline the medical effects of DNP, the offences involved in supplying DNP and the wider definition of manslaughter. They also discuss the implications of voluntary consumption and also other factors including vulnerable victims/consumers, also drawing on other cases which have dealt with these issues.

The Paper is available here