Morgan Huelin death - appeals rejected

Thursday 21 July 2016

Two youths found guilty of perverting the course of justice in connection with the death of a 16-year-old boy in July last year have had their appeals rejected.

On Monday, three other youths also found guilty of perverting the course of justice in the same case, abandoned their appeals.

Morgan Huelin was at a party at a friend’s house, and had been taking a cocktail of legal and illegal drugs.

When the five youths found him in the morning he was semi-conscious and was foaming at the mouth. They later carried him out of the house so he wouldn’t be found on the premises.

A member of the public saw them and called an ambulance. The crew attempted to resuscitate Mr Huelin, but were unsuccessful.

The issue at the heart of the trial, and the subsequent appeal, is why the boys didn’t want Mr Huelin found in the house.

Summarising the defence, and the prosecution’s cases, the Appeal judge, Sir Christopher Pitchers, described the two alternative scenarios being put forward as, “...fear of family versus fear of the police."

The defence’s position was the boys moved Mr Huelin because one of them who lived in the house didn’t want his parents to find out what had been going on. 

In contrast, the prosecution say the boys feared if the police were called they’d search the premises – which was something they were keen to avoid. The police later did and one of the youths – Defendant One – was convicted of possessing class A drugs – MDMA and LSD – and possessing four indecent images of children.

Prosecuting, Crown Advocate Howard Sharp, also outlined further evidence to support his case that the youths had tried to pervert the course of justice – in essence to cover up what had happened.

Advocate Sharp told the court the boys had hatched a “plan” to move Mr Huelin so the police wouldn’t go to the house; that there was no record of the boys having tried to call an ambulance, and that when asked by a passer-by if Mr Huelin was ok they said “yes."

According to Advocate Sharp: “It was a lie. He [Mr Huelin] was not ok. There was blood coming from him.” 

Earlier the defence said the boys had tried to call an ambulance but that their mobile didn’t work. The defence had also argued there had been no “plan” so the prosecution was unsafe, and that when convicting the youths, the original court panel drew the wrong interferences from the evidence. 

The court will meet again this morning at 10.00 to explain why they rejected the boys' appeals.