NEWS: News.com.au - Melanie Boyd wanted to call for help at Townsville pharm party'

Melanie Boyd wanted to call for help at Townsville pharm party
By Peter Michael
October 10, 2008 08:54am

TEENAGER Melanie Boyd begged her friends to call for help after taking a lethal cocktail of booze and drugs, an inquest was told.

But by the time an ambulance was called, three hours after she was found "blue" and "struggling to breathe", the popular Townsville private schoolgirl, 16, was dead.

In a tearful apology yesterday, Matthew Aubrey, 20, told an inquest into her June 2006 death that the first-time drug taker wanted to call for help when two fellow drug users at the "pharm party" fell into fits of convulsions.

"Mel had a phone, she said if it's happened to them I don't want this to happen to me," Mr Aubrey told the Townsville Coroner's Court.

But the six partygoers talked each other out of calling for an ambulance - because they did not want to involve the police.

"It was not my party, not my house, not my call," said the youth, who was 18 at the time and the oldest at the party.

"Knowing what I know now, I wish I was smarter."

Parents Laurie and Julie Boyd angrily refused to accept his emotional plea for forgiveness as well as that of the teenage girl who supplied the drugs and hosted the beachfront house party.

"We thought we were invincible," said the girl, whose identity has been suppressed by the court.

She said she had not touched drugs since that fateful party.

"It scared me straight.

"I'm sorry it took something this catastrophic to make me realise how precious life is."

"I think we thought we were better and it would not happen to us."

Coroner Brian Smith presiding over the inquest heard "pharm parties", mixing alcohol, marijuana and prescription pills, had become popular among the nation's youth.

In a twist, it emerged that the girls who snorted lines of a white powder, popped up to eight anti-depressants and pain killers, and slammed shots of rum had not taken speed, or crystal meth, as believed by police.

"I told them (the other girls) it was speed. I wanted to be cool, I wanted to be accepted," the girl said.

She said she emptied the contents of an unknown capsule into a bag which they divided up into lines, before raiding her mother's drug cabinet for blue and orange pills.

"There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of Mel and wish it had all never happened," she said.

The inquest continues.

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'My daughter died because they didn't care'
By Jessica Johnston
October 11, 2008 07:18am
Article from: Townsville Bulletin

A FATHER has lashed out at the"callous indifference" of youths who wouldn't call for help as his daughter slowly died of a drug overdose.

The anguish and anger at losing his youngest daughter Melanie from a drug overdose at a party was evident as Laurie Boyd made a heart-wrenching statement to a Townsville coroner yesterday.

Mr Boyd was emotional yet resolute as he described his family's eternal grief and his personal pain identifying the 16-year-old in the morgue, The Townsvile Bulletin reports.

Melanie Boyd begged her friends to call for help after taking a lethal cocktail of booze and drugs, the inquest was told.

But by the time an ambulance was called, three hours after she was found "blue" and "struggling to breathe", the popular Townsville private schoolgirl was dead.

"No father should be called upon to identify his daughter's body," he said.

"Mel's throat was swollen, it was grossly distorted from her efforts trying to breathe.

"No witness can tell me she was merely snoring, or breathing like she had the flu.

"She must have been struggling for breath for hours ... I hope that she was unconscious.

"She died alone in a strange house, I just hope she didn't die afraid.

"We loved her and miss her every day.

"We were so lucky this wasn't the first of three inquests ... that three other fathers didn't have to go to the ghastly place in the bowels of the hospital to identify their daughter.

"Why it was Mel, I'll never know."

A toxicology report showed Melanie had traces of the painkiller Tramadol, sedative Promazine and codeine in her system when she died.

There was no trace of amphetamine or any illicit drug.

Professor David Williams, who undertook the autopsy, indicated Melanie had ultimately drowned in her vomit, which caused her death.

"She would have gradually lost consciousness," Prof Williams said.

"I'm sure it would have been peaceful, yes."

Mr Boyd said the only two youths who seemed to comprehend the impact of Melanie's death were those who had also taken the lethal drug cocktail.

He said only one of the girls had "the courage and integrity'"to attend Mel's funeral, and to extend her sorrow and regret.

Mr Boyd lashed out at the "callous indifference, shallow vanity and mindless hedonism" shown by the four youths who hadn't called an ambulance for the sick girls.

He said the other schoolgirl, who can't be named because of her age and Matthew Aubrey, Kelly Neville and Zohe Horne had displayed little insight or sorrow.

"There is no doubt that Mel died because they did not care," he said.

"I have sat and listened to the evidence of a succession of young people who were present during the circumstances leading up to my daughter's death.

"At times I have found it difficult to control my rage and I think it fair to observe that many of us ... are bewildered by what we have heard.

"These people sat and watched Mel die for three hours and they will never be held responsible.

"These people will effectively get away with watching my daughter die."

Mr Boyd said he had been "bitterly angry" that the host and her family had appeared to run away to New Zealand to avoid the consequences' and made no attempt to contact him.

But he yesterday extended a message of forgiveness to the other parents, acknowledging they were doing what they thought was best for their child.

"I hope (the host) that you have all the opportunities that were denied to Melanie and I wish you well for the future," he said.

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static_mind said:

In Aus, The police wont get involved with an overdose.

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Lassaris said:

Are you sure? I was at a club the other day and a girl overdosed. The police were questioning the bouncers/owner etc, perhaps trying to find the dealer.

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Coolio said:

Are these policies widely known by Australian teenagers though, Flexistentialist?

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Flinch said:

I think cops arnt meant to be involved, but they do anyway.

I think i read this here, but isnt the best thing to do is take them away from the party, say a street corner, call the ambos and say its a heart attack (It has the same priortiy as OD) and then when they are there bail and they'll take care of the person and ull be gone b4 the police arrive?

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Flinch said:

I think cops arnt meant to be involved, but they do anyway.

I think i read this here, but isnt the best thing to do is take them away from the party, say a street corner, call the ambos and say its a heart attack (It has the same priortiy as OD) and then when they are there bail and they'll take care of the person and ull be gone b4 the police arrive?

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Flexistentialist said:

No that's not correct. Unfortunately, this is the info contained in Bluelight's Overdose FAQ, but it's incorrect and extremely dangerous. Never attempt to move an unconscious person. Apply first aid and phone the ambulance immediately. You can keep them alive with basic CPR and the police will not come and arrest you.

Ignore the FAQ, it was made and approved by people who don't know what they're talking about.

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zomg said:

If that's correct then it should be corrected. I and many others come here for facts and treat Bluelight as a pretty reliable source.

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