Addict jailed for heroin killing of his friend

A DRUG addict has been jailed for 30 months for injecting a friend with heroin hours before he was found dead.

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday a distressed Philip Holderness told police Anthony Thomas Quinn had not been able to find a vein himself so he did it for him.

But in the early hours he realised Mr Quinn, 51, had died. A pathologist later concluded his death was due to heroin misuse and alcohol intoxication, having double the alcohol driving limit in his blood.

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Holderness, 46, of Bradbury street, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, admitted the manslaughter of Mr Quinn on May 9 last year.

Jailing him, Judge Scott Wolstenholme said it was accepted he had not intended injury to his friend.

"However I cannot accept that the death of somebody given heroin is entirely unforeseen. Taking heroin is inherently a risky activity and everybody knows that, every week an addict dies somewhere from an accidental overdose.

"The fact you were prepared to inject your friend is a

demonstration of the depths somebody in the grip of heroin gets."

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He said it was considerable mitigation that it was only through Holderness's honesty that it was known what had happened which was acknowledged by Mr Quinn's family.

His brother Roy Peters said in a victim impact statement they did not feel anger or hatred towards Holderness who had done the right thing in telling the truth but felt he should be punished so it would not happen to others.

The judge said the family also hoped Holderness would rid himself of heroin addiction in jail otherwise the death of his friend was in vain.

Richard Clews, for Holderness, said he had not known the amount his friend had drunk and was "devastated" by his death which

was "unforeseen and unintended".

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