Alcohol factor in girl’s death

Press, 8 April 1978, Page 3

Alcohol factor in girl’s death

PA Wellington Alcohol and a young . people's dance which got out of control were major contributing factors in the death of a 15-year-old girl, the Wellington Coroner, Mr A. D. McGregor said yesterday. He was bolding an inquest into the death of Jillian ■ Helen Brown, who died on December 11 in Wellington Hospital. The Coroner found the; girl died from extensive! fractures to the base of the! skull and cerebral lacer-] ations as the result of acci-' dentally falling down a bank] on to the footpath of Crawford Street, Newtown, after leaving a dance nearby. The girl had a blood-alco-hol count of 168 at the time of her admittance to hospital and was well under the influence of alcohol, the Coroner said. “All the ingredients for a tragedy of some kind were present,” he said. “Firstly, booze. Secondly., the gathering of youngsters! of tender years, mainly 131

to 15 years. Thirdly, a dance) which got out of control. “Fourthly, aggressive < behaviour in the form of fights inside and outside the 1 hall.” t He said that if alcohol had! not been present before and 5 during the gathering in the;: Harriers Hall he had little j doubt Miss Brown would 1 still be alive today. 1 “Yet there are people in 1 the community who support i further lowering the legal drinking age. What amazing i folly,” the Coroner said. 1 A witness, Jeffrey Hae- j ropou Barton, aged 15, said t that, he went to the dance ’ with Miss Brown, who was l his girlfriend, and a group , of others. He bought a small bottle of rum at a hotel be-|i forehand. Others there also J had alcohol. < He said that at one stage < he took exception to Miss Brown’s putting her arms ( round a boy. He tried to t punch the boy but missed, and hit Miss Brown, knock- I ing out a tooth. He told the boy he would J fight him outside, and wait- t ed there. I

I Outside, Miss Brown ran : past him into some trees and would not come when he called. One of her girl-, friends ran after her and the 1 two slipped over. Miss Brown got up and: walked away, falling down a' steep bank. Witness said she appeared to be asleep at the bottom of the bank but after :he slapped her she "came to.” He helped her up and she walked away. He was about two metres behind her when she fell

over a bank on to the footpath. He said he went back to the dance to get help, hut “got involved in another fight and forgot all about Jillian.” Replying to Mr McGregor, 'witness said he did not try Ito assist Miss Brown, as he did not know how to get down the bank to her. The Coroner said Barton’s conduct reflected no credit on him. Police Sergeant Mary Ann Kelly said the dance was for, pupils of Wellington High School. It was controlled by three adults but got out of hand and there were several

r fights in and around the i hall 1 The police had established! ,that Miss Brown and Barton, ']had drunk a considerable! amount of liquor during the evening and that Barton had, (been involved in several! j fights.