Friend 'deeply remorseful' over drug death
By Margaret Scheikowski
October 04, 2007 08:42pm
A "DEEPLY remorseful" woman who supplied Sydney dance teacher Annabel Catt with the illegal drugs that ended her life has been sentenced to 120 hours community service.
In sentencing Bodene Sheed in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court today, Magistrate Robert Williams said it was clear the offence had a tragic result that Sheed may not have been able to foresee.
"But the difficulty in this matter is that is what happened," he said.
"There possibly could not have been a more tragic result, but I am sure this has been brought home to you."
Sheed, 21, from Mona Vale on Sydney's northern beaches, pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a prohibited drug – six tablets said to be ecstasy and six MDMA capsules.
Her good friend, Ms Catt, 20, collapsed at a house party hours after taking capsules she believed to be ecstasy at the Good Vibrations music festival on February 17 this year.
Sheed's barrister, Anthony Jamieson, described his client as "deeply remorseful".
He said she made no money from the supply, but had merely passed on the bag of tablets obtained from another person.
Ms Catt and her girlfriends had pooled their money to buy the drugs.
"All of the girls had freely been using drugs," he said.
Mr Williams noted Sheed's remorse and the fact the supply was not a large one, but he said she had played a significant part in the tragedy.
"Even though the evidence and statements ... indicate that the users or persons to whom you supplied the drugs on this night were persons who had used drugs on prior occasions," he said.
"Nothwithstanding that, a message must be sent to the community that parliament and also the courts are against the supply of drugs in any quantity."
Marie Sheed gave evidence that adverse publicity had led to her daughter being sacked from a good job working for an executive in a high-profile company.
Her daughter was having difficulty handling her depression, anxiety and remorse, and had told her she would have nothing more to do with drugs.
"She is suffering all the time," Mrs Sheed said.
"This is destroying the girl."
The magistrate took into account the effects of the case on Sheed.
"I must also recognise the harm done to the victim, in this case the ultimate harm, and to the community," he said.
The detective who investigated the case, Detective Sergeant Stephen Pollard, told the magistrate there had been no other arrests in relation to the matter.
He said Sheed had been "very forthcoming" and he believed the information she had given him was to the "best of her knowledge".
Members of the Catt family were not present at the sentencing.peHowever, her mother Alison Catt told ABC Radio she believed Sheed was also a victim.
"We see her as another victim really," Ms Catt said.
"She was the foot soldier in this and we're glad she has been able to help the police with further investigations." Ms Catt told ABC Radio the tragedy had struck a chord with the community.
"I think why it's been reported so widely is because we are an ordinary family and she was just a fun loving, ordinary girl and she wasn't into drugs, so this can happen to anyone,'' Ms Catt said.
She said she hoped lessons could be learnt from her daughter's death.
Annabel Catt's father, Peter, said the sentence was fair. "We've been told today she (Sheed) is remorseful and we are grateful for that,'' he told the Seven Network.
