The dad of a girl who died after taking ecstasy has backed calls to review Scotland’s “ghastly” not proven verdict after watching the man who gave her the drug walk free from court.
Grace Handling was 13 when she died after taking pills given to her by Callum Owens at his home in Irvine, Ayrshire, on the last day of school in June 2018.
Owens went on trial at the High Court in Glasgow last year accused of killing Grace and admitted he had supplied the youngster with the tablets before finding her dead and fleeing.
The 20-year-old was acquitted of culpable homicide when a jury found the case against him not proven.
Grace’s dad Stewart, 51, is backing calls by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a review of the verdict, which is only open to jurors in Scotland, saying it is robbing victims and families of justice.
He said: “The not proven verdict is a ghastly part of our law and I’m 100 per cent in support of abolition.
“I’m delighted that common sense finally seems to be prevailing.”
Sturgeon revealed on Sunday that she had changed her view on not proven because of “mounting evidence” that the verdict is linked to “shamefully low” conviction rates in rape and sexual assault trials.
It has been criticised by campaigners and senior figures in all major parties.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said his party was “fully committed” to abolishing the verdict while Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater also pledged support.
Stewart said he and Grace’s mum Lorraine were “delighted’ to hear the news.
"And while a review will not affect the outcome of Grace’s case, he says he will join the campaign to bring an end to the verdict in the hope other families will be spared the anguish it brought them.
He said: “Not proven is almost like a political vote you can abstain from in my eyes. This isn’t just because the result didn’t go the way we wanted.
"I didn’t agree with it even before Grace’s case.
“It was absolutely hellish to sit and listen to that verdict come through in court. I’d like to spare other families from going through that.”
We attempted to contact Owens yesterday but a relative declined to comment.
