Teen spared jail over Preston LSD offer
The teenager who offered Preston Bridge a synthetic drug before he died in a Scarborough hotel balcony fall has escaped jail and been ordered to complete 100 hours of community work.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named, was today handed an intensive youth supervision order without detention after pleading guilty to four counts of offering to sell or supply a prohibited drug.
Preston died at age 16 after taking two tabs of what is believed to have been a synthetic LSD-style drug in February last year.
The popular Churchlands Senior High School student suffered catastrophic injuries when he fell as he tried to jump from a balcony on to a fence at Sunmoon Resort after taking the drugs.
Preston had been at his school ball the night before he fell and had taken the drugs about 4.30am.
The court was told the 17-year-old had been assaulted twice after Preston died, once by someone who accused him of being a murderer.
His lawyer said he deeply regretted buying the drugs and felt responsible for what had happened.
He has not been charged with supplying the drugs and toxicology reports found no signs of synthetic LSD in Preston's system
The youth sourced the drugs from an underground website called Silk Road, which is often referred to as an "eBay for drugs".
Preston's dad Rod Bridge has been campaigning for the website to be shut down since his son's death.
Outside court, he said he was happy with the sentence and was relieved the young man felt partially responsible for Preston's death.
"I don't think he expected the outcome of Preston's death and I hope a lesson has been learnt," Mr Bridge said.
"We have to accept it.
"I have no doubt that Preston's accident was caused by what he did take in the early hours of that morning.
"The only one I can hold responsible is Silk Road for allowing people to buy drugs on the internet."