SURPRISE GUILTY PLEA ENTERED IN ECSTASY DEATHS OF PAUL BAND TEENS

A young offender on Friday surprisingly entered guilty pleas to
drug-trafficking charges halfway through his trial for selling ecstasy
to two girls who died after taking the drugs.

The 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named under the provisions of the
Youth Criminal Justice Act, had previously pleaded not guilty to
selling drugs to several teens from Paul Band First Nation. The change
of pleas means the case will be back in court Nov. 19 for sentencing.

The teens who died were Trinity Bird, 15, and Leah House,
14.

During the trial, court heard the teens became violently ill after
each ingested several ecstasy pills at a wedding celebration on the
First Nation on March 22, 2009. They both died days later.

Another Paul Band teen testified during the trial that she had bought
ecstasy from the accused prior to the wedding celebration.

The grandmother of Trinity Bird testified the teenager had told her
before she died that she had bought ecstasy from the accused.

Youth Court Judge Justina Filice agreed with Crown and defence lawyers
there was no evidence presented during the trial that the youth had
sold ecstasy pills to Leah House. There was evidence he sold drugs to
three other teens, she ruled.

The youth pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking and one count
of breaching a recognizance order. A previous charge of criminal
negligence causing death had been stayed.