Inquest adjourned in charges move

A former academic who admitted possessing class A drugs at a house where a schoolgirl died after taking ecstasy is facing the possibility of manslaughter charges being brought against him and his partner.

Isobel Reilly, 15, died in April last year after taking ecstasy at an unsupervised party in the west London home of Brian Dodgeon and Angela Hadjipateras.

Dodgeon, 61 was given an eight-month sentence suspended for two years at London's Isleworth Crown Court in December for possession of class A drugs, including ecstasy, LSD, ketamine and a psychedelic drug known as foxy methoxy.

An inquest into Isobel's death at Westminster Coroner's Court has been adjourned, and new evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) with a view to charging Dodgeon and Ms Hadjipateras with gross negligence manslaughter.

Dodgeon, dressed in a black suit and tie, was due to give evidence at the inquest, but never got the chance.

The coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, said new charges could be brought against him and his partner as the inquest heard evidence not previously considered by the CPS.

She highlighted the facts that Dodgeon and Ms Hadjipateras knew that a party would be taking place, accepted that under-age teenagers might be drinking and that their daughter had previously found a stash of cannabis in her father's drawer.

Questions needed to be answered about whether Isobel's death was preventable, she said.

"It's with an extremely heavy heart that I apply my duty to adjourn because, in my view, it is likely that a charge of gross negligence manslaughter could be brought against either Ms Hadjipateras or Mr Dodgeon," said Dr Wilcox.

"Both these people had separate and concurrent duties to be considered. The evidence, when I reflected upon it, is different to the evidence the CPS originally considered in relation to Mr Dodgeon."