Katy French's death: was justice done?

The Barefoot Pizza Thief

THE heartbroken family of the late model Katy French said justice has not been served after two people charged following her death were spared jail.

Former couple Kieron Ducie and Ann Corcoran were handed respective a two-and-a-half and two-year suspended sentences for arranging a drug deal the weekend the socialite collapsed at their home.

The model's parents, John and Janet, and sister Jill said the court case proved she had not been on an alcohol and cocaine binge but left questions unanswered.

"For five years we have been silent," said Mr French outside Trim Circuit Court.

"For five years we watched Katy being slandered, torn apart, being used as the flagship for drug taking.

"She wasn't on a binge drink. That came out in the court and I think now is the time to let her rest."

Ms French, 24, died in hospital on December 6 2007, four days after she had a fit at the former couple's house in Lambertstown Manor, Kilmessan, Co Meath.

The Swiss born model suffered brain damage days after celebrating her birthday.

Tests revealed half a glass of wine and 0.8mg of cocaine in her system - 4% of what can be considered a lethal dose - along with traces of antibiotics for a kidney infection, cough medicine and contraceptives, according to her family.

The court heard there was a 90 minute gap between when Ducie and Corcoran said they found the model - face down on a bedroom floor, fitting, with her head back and arms and legs outstretched - and arriving at a nearby hospital, where staff were told she had been drinking but not seen taking drugs.

Ducie, 43, who lives in the property with his new partner and two children and Corcoran, 32, who lives with her parents on Clonliffe Road, Dublin, later pleaded guilty to procuring another man - Russell Memery - to possess cocaine which was sold to the socialite at a garage forecourt.

A second charge, that the pair intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct which created a substantial risk of death or serious harm to Ms French, was recently dropped.

The French family said they are saddened and angry the charge did not proceed.

"I do not feel like justice has been done," said her sister Jill.

The court was told Ducie texted Ms French at 10pm on Saturday, December 1, asking if she was going out and she replied an hour later saying she wanted to visit Corcoran, who was home alone, and asking if he could arrange to get her some cocaine.

Superintendent Michael Devine, of Navan Garda Station, said Ducie contacted Memery and then Corcoran, who arranged for Memery to meet Ms French at a Statoil service station at Clonee where she bought 200 euro worth of cocaine shortly after midnight.

In garda interviews the pair said Ducie had been out socialising until 6am while Ms French sat up drinking Champagne and vodka and chatting with Corcoran until 8am, when they all went to bed.

According to the former couple, they heard a bang at about 8.30am from the downstairs room where Ms French was found having a fit.

But the court heard emergency services were not called until 10.05am and Ms French arrived at Navan hospital in the back of Ducie's jeep at 10.12am.

Mobile phone evidence revealed Ducie called Memery before 10am and several times that morning while medics worked to save the model's life.

In May 2010 Memery, who had been living at Yellow Clay Manor in Navan, was given a two and a half year suspended sentence after admitting to conspiring with others to possess cocaine for sale or supply on the weekend Ms French took ill.

Judge Michael O'Shea said it would be inhuman of him not to comment on the tragic case adding: "Her family will carry this cross for the rest of their life."

Corcoran, a secretary in an accountancy firm, is engaged and put her wedding plans on hold until after the case which "has been hanging over her", her lawyer Patrick Marrinan, senior counsel, said.

He claimed taking cocaine "would not have been unknown" for the model, with one ex-boyfriend referring to her as a "two-day on, one-day off" cocaine abuser in the book of evidence.

Corcoran had no previous conviction while Ducie, a lorry driver in his father's scrap business, has minor road traffic and public order offences which were all committed since 2007, as well as a conviction for assaulting his partner Elaine Buggle when she was pregnant.

Born in Switzerland, Ms French and her family moved to Ireland when she was a young girl and settled in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

As I would be of the opinion that no, justice was not done.

They charged this pair with "arranging a drug deal" but yet I feel they shouldn't have really, as many people reach their demise from drug taking and yet I never see such charges being brought on those that procured drugs for them and tbh, I think people should take responsibility for their own drug taking and so perhaps a slap on the wrist would have more than sufficed in that regard, especially since neither of them had previous drug convictions.

However, what I find hard to take in is why they were both not charged with engaging in conduct which endangered another person's life, as surely that is what is of important here, not whether or not they arranged for another person to receive drugs (which she was obviously choosing to take). It is the waiting 95 minutes to call an ambulance after hearing her pass out and then not informing medics that she had taken cocaine that I feel warrants charges being brought, not procuring drugs, which to me seems the lesser of the two crimes.

HondaSami

It was her choice to take the drugs, blaming everyone else is not going to bring her back. Her family need to stop looking for someone to blame and accept it was her own fault.

paddy147

Did someone force the drugs up her nose though???

No,she did it herself...so the thats all that needs to be said here.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Drugs are bad m'kay. She knew the dangers.

The other two fcukwits shouldn't have waited so long to get help, cowardly fcuks.

anncoates

Who?

Culleeo

The court was told Ducie texted Ms French at 10pm on Saturday, December 1, asking if she was going out and she replied an hour later saying she wanted to visit Corcoran, who was home alone, and asking if he could arrange to get her some cocaine.

She asked for cocaine, got it and died as a result, live by the sword, die by the sword.

fatknacker

Those poor people are just being 'made an example of.
If it weren't a high profile celebrity who died, their lives wouldn't also be ruined.
How many people get simllar treatment when a junkie dies trom gear?

robman60

If this had been a commoner no one would have been convicted. She took the drugs, and while her death is obviously tragic, her family need to accept it's her own fault.

italodisco

If i took a few pills and lines tonight and dropped dead it would be MY FAULT.

We all have minds of our own, what makes this Xpose type any different ? ?

She took sniff because she wanted to, i'd say they were all regular sniff heads. Sorry but i think your opinion is retarded, i suppose you are the type that blames everyone else for your foolish mistakes???

paddy147

anncoates wrote: »

Who?

That young one who thought se was actually a model by draping herself accross her ex boyfriends resturaunt table while wearing lingerie for a photo shoot.

Desperation and nothing more than an attention seeking wannabe,and nothing more.

She died doing drugs.

She knew the risks and she chose her own fate at the end of the day.

Her family need to stop looking for someone to blame for it.

humbert

Drug addict dies while taking drugs. Her fault, the end.

AnonoBoy

The death of any young person from drugs is a tragedy. But somehow because she was famous the media think the people who supplied her with the drugs should somehow be more culpable than the people who supply non-famous people with drugs.

They can prosecute the guys with supplying drugs or whatever but they can't be blamed for her death as she took the coke of her own free will.

Her memory would be better served by not pretending she was some sort of angel that bad men took from us; she was young and made mistakes and tragically died, that's it.

Death and Taxes

Her family need to face facts, their z list celebrity daughter was a junkie, and junkies die from choosing that lifestyle.

happyoutscan

While its tragic her family need to take their heads out of their backsides and stop blaming everyone else. It's her own fault she's dead.

Boombastic

She chose to take it
She drove 40-50 mins to their house to take it
She done this of her own free will
It's their fault?

No I don't think justice was served

castletownman

Sees an overly glamourized article about the death of a celebrity who died through misadventure following an over-dose of coke.

Couldn't care less, so moves onto next news story.

Wicklowandy

I think the sentences reflected what happened.....if they had made an example of someone because katy french was a 'star' it would have shown serious flaws in the justice system.

Shame on them for not seeking medical attention quicker (which they weren't prosecuted for) but she chose to buy and consume cocaine....and I doubt it was the first time she did and she wasn't held down and forced to take it. Mother and sister in news interview were (perhaps understandably in their shoes) desparately looking for anyone else to blame.

Galwayguy35

I remember this case, I also remember 2 junkies overdosed as well I think either that same night or the next one, they got a 2 minute mention on the news.

These 3 people knew the dangers of drugs and paid the price but noone will make a poor person into a saint after they die.

Real Life

Justice was not done, the 2 people should not have been giving sentences. If it wasnt for who she was and her high profile nothing would have come of this and thats how it should be.
People make their own choices to take drugs, its not someone else's fault.
If i died from taking drugs id hate to think my friends got a sentence just because they were there too

mike65

Ducie, a lorry driver in his father's scrap business, has minor road traffic and public order offences which were all committed since 2007, as well as a conviction for assaulting his partner Elaine Buggle when she was pregnant.

Pity he is free to continue as a piece of crap.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

What annoys me about the whole thing is the way the President at the time was represented by her Aide de Camp at the funeral.

She was a nobody who did nothing for her country and had no worthwhile notoriety.

My name is URL

For someone that people say they don't care about, she sure can draw an awful lot of ire and opinion from them... Even now 5 years after her death!

I guess the media are as good at selling shit to people as they were back then.

Fromthetrees

I blame fianna fail, primarily MeHole Martin and Willie O'Dea.

Sh1tbag OToole

Druggie dies from drug overdose so what? If it was some lad just out of secondary school in Athlone it might not even have made it to RTE news

yosser hughes

Praetorian Saighdiuir wrote: »

What annoys me about the whole thing is the way the President at the time was represented by her Aide de Camp at the funeral.

She was a nobody who did nothing for her country and had no worthwhile notoriety.

I thought it was Bertie Ahern's Aide de Camp? Either way,it was bizarre.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

yosser hughes wrote: »

I thought it was Bertie Ahern's Aide de Camp? Either way,it was bizarre.

You may well be right. But there was zero reason for it.

mikom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9v0bSlviJ0

The Road Runner

Wasn't there a couple of guys from wexford who died around the same time? i think if it had of been gerry ryan who had got the coke for her the family wouldn't have tried to get him done. if he hadn't of died also that is.

OT but how the hell do you pronounce 'ducie'? Dooshie, duckie, dooshea

fullstop

fatknacker wrote: »

Those poor people are just being 'made an example of.
If it weren't a high profile celebrity who died, their lives wouldn't also be ruined.
How many people get simllar treatment when a junkie dies trom gear?

Yes, because Ducie is such a nice fellow :rolleyes:

marialouise

I agree no charges should have been brought against them, and it's outrageous that they were charged for anything when as almost everyone has agreed, you make your own choice to take drugs, aware of the consequences.

Didn't they mention something about the second charge (that of failing to get medical assistance) being withdrawn, so the judge could only deal with the supply of drugs charge? Am I mistaken?

Real Life

fullstop wrote: »

Yes, because Ducie is such a nice fellow :rolleyes:

thats completely irrelevant here. whether hes a nice person or not doesnt come into it. Hes been giving a sentence that others wouldnt have received just because of the deceased's profile. Thats my opinion anyway