ECSTASY RULING ENRAGES GIRL'S FAMILY

Stevie Reilly, 13, Died After Taking Drug. Teen WHO Sold It to Her
Won't Serve More Time

A 17-year-old who sold ecstasy to Stevie Reilly, 13, walked out of a
youth court free yesterday after a judge ruled he should not be jailed
for his crime.

Stevie, a Rigaud girl, died in February after taking the party
drug.

While delivering the sentence yesterday, Judge Linda Despots said the
youth court could not get caught up in the "wave of sympathy" felt for
the girl's family and was required to sentence the 17-year-old for the
crimes he had pleaded guilty to.

Despots's ruling infuriated Stevie's parents.

Her father, Greg Reilly, stormed out of the courtroom as it became
clear the youth would serve no more time in custody. As he headed for
the door, Reilly came within inches of the 17-year-old, brushing past
as courthouse guards watched closely.

"To me, it legitimizes selling drugs," Reilly said.

Dawn Reilly, Stevie's mother, also was upset.

"This is cartoon justice," she said. "I think Daffy Duck could have
given a better judgment.

"If you're under 18, you're invincible."

The youth was 16 when Stevie died and cannot be identified under the
Youth Criminal Justice Act.

He pleaded guilty to invitation to sexual touching, four counts of
drug trafficking, obstructing justice and two counts of violating a
conditional release.

Despots said crown prosecutor Mylene Gregoire failed to prove Stevie's
death was an aggravating circumstance to consider in the sentence.

The youth, who was living in Hudson when he sold Stevie an ecstasy
pill and gave her half of another, was sentenced to two years'
probation. He had already spent three months in a youth detention
centre. He left the courthouse holding his mother's hand.

Neither would comment on the sentence.

Stevie was visiting a girlfriend in Hudson on Feb. 4 when they decided
to visit the youth's house. It was there that Stevie paid $15 for an
ecstasy pill. He gave her half of another because she said she didn't
feel any effect from the first pill. The teenagers had the house to
themselves, as the youth's mother was spending the weekend with an
Ontario man she had met in December.

Within hours, Stevie went into cardiac arrest and died two days
later.

The sex offence involved a different occasion, on Jan 27, where the
drug dealer had sex with Stevie who was under the age of consent. He
sold her and her friend ecstasy on that night as well.

The Crown and the defence had agreed the youth should serve at least
six months in custody for his crimes. That was conditional, however,
on Despots determining that Stevie's death was an aggravating
circumstance.

The maximum a person sentenced as a youth can serve in custody is
three years. In a presentencing report filed during a sentencing
hearing last month, the youth was evaluated as needing "a period of
neutralization in a rehabilitation centre in order to send him a clear
message that he is not used to having, meaning the need to face
consequences for his actions."

But Despots rejected this view.

While reading her 16-page decision, the judge asked rhetorically if it
was right to render a sentence equal to one that someone who had
committed manslaughter would receive, when the youth hadn't even been
accused of the crime.

"Remember, the accused recognized his guilt to a charge of trafficking
and he should be sentenced for the crime he has been convicted of,"
Despots said, adding he never pressured anyone to take the drugs.

"The evidence reveals that the trafficking might have contributed to
Stevie Reilly's death, but even in the absence of that tragic loss, it
is known that trafficking in a drug like ecstasy can cause significant
damage to the community and in particular to young people who are
vulnerable and often ready to experiment at a risk to their own lives."

As part of his probation, the youth must respect a curfew for a year
while living with his mother, who has since moved to Ontario. He must
attend school or make the effort to find a job. He is also not allowed
to be in the presence of girls under 14, unless a responsible adult is
also present.

Gregoire said she will look over the judgment carefully before
deciding whether to appeal.