The family of Louella Fletcher-Michie have broken their silence following the quashing of Ceon Broughton's manslaughter conviction.
Yesterday Broughton, 31, from Enfield, North London, had his conviction unanimously quashed by three judges at the Court of Appeal, with no retrial into the charges.
Mr Broughton had previously been found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence and supplying a Class A drug, and was handed eight and a half years in prison when sentenced.
But judges granted his appeal when they ruled prosecutors failed to prove Louella could still be alive if Broughton had called for help.
In a devastating statement, Louella's grieving family said they had been "denied justice" after their daughter's boyfriend was freed.
"To say the family is devastated is an understatement. It's been difficult enough coming to terms with Louella's loss and now she's been denied justice," they said in a statement to MailOnline.
"The justice system has let her and the family down. This decision is a kick in the teeth which has just added to our pain. It's wrong and doesn't make sense."
Louella's actor dad John Michie, who stars in Holby City and previously appeared in Our Girl, Casualty, Coronation Street and Taggart, is yet to update his social media accounts since the news of the ruling.
At a trial in March 2019, the court heard how Broughton had delayed getting help when Louella, 24, overdosed on Class A party drug 2C-P in woodland at musical festival Bestival.
The defence had claimed he feared further trouble after receiving previous suspended jail term for an unrelated offence.
Louella's sister Daisy said in court last year in a victim impact statement at Winchester Crown Court: "I feel like I've lost my parents and my brother too, not just Louella.
"Seeing everyone you love shatter to pieces, everyone who would usually comfort and support you in times of need, all in the same state as you, heartbroken and traumatised...
"I couldn't be alone or get to sleep at night for months. I had constant images in my head and would act out how I imagined everything unfolded on the day, constantly."
She also added of Louella's celebration of life: "I was haunted by what would follow when we left for the wake, images that would zoom in in my head. I couldn't stop them, I was told by the trauma therapist I had PTSD."
Louella's sister added that the thought of moving on from her sister's untimely death was what scared her the most.
"The thought of things changing without her scares me, my parents moving from our family home, everyone getting older, having kids; I feel like my kids won't know me," she continued.
"How could they if they only know me as 'Sam and Daisy', that's not who I am. My sister is such a huge part of me.
"I used to speak about her and show people photos of her every day because she's so fascinating to me. I can't bear the thought of my children never meeting her."
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