Man charged after two 13-year-old girls were hospitalised after allegedly being supplied with E tabs is set to have case sent to Crown Court
A man charged after two 13-year-old girls were hospitalised after allegedly being supplied with E tabs, is set to have his case sent to the Crown Court.
Jordan Lyttle (24), of Oaktree Drive in Antrim town, is charged with being concerned in the supply of Ecstasy on Saturday June 14 last year.
He is also charged with possessing cannabis and possession of 'criminal property'. The case was mentioned at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday (February 17).
A police officer told a previous court that around 12.10am on Saturday June 14 police received a report from a mum that her 13-year-old daughter and 13-year-old friend were admitted to Antrim Area Hospital "after falling ill from taking the drug Ecstasy".
Police attended the hospital and spoke to adults and children and it was "reported that one of the parents had given them £20" around 9pm on the Friday for them to go to McDonald's for food.
The officer said: "The children did not return and the parents were contacted around 11pm to inform them that both girls had been taken to hospital after being found unwell by a passer-by who called an ambulance."
When police spoke to the girls at the hospital "both appeared to be heavily under the influence of a substance".
The officer told the earlier court: "The girls informed police that they had purchased Ecstasy tablets from the defendant earlier in the evening and provided a description of him, noting that he had a tattoo on his face."
Police located the defendant and he was arrested. A search was conducted of his address and an "amount" of suspected herbal cannabis was seized along with, according to the officer, "seven mobile phones, £1,000 in cash, two Versace watches and necklaces".
The officer said the defendant said his girlfriend had bought him the watches and Versace jewellery.
A defence lawyer told the earlier court there had been a "history of delay" in the case.
The defendant appeared at court on Tuesday via video link from prison where he has been on remand.
He was further remanded and the case was adjourned to March 24 for a preliminary enquiry which is the legal step to potentially send the case to the Crown Court.