Derry mother calling for stronger sentences for drug dealers

A heartbroken Derry mother has launched a petition calling for stiffer sentences for drug dealers.

Pauline Duddy, who tragically lost her daughter Jasmin to drugs, is calling on the Assembly to change the law so drug dealers could be prosecuted with murder.

Jasmine (21), sadly passed away in February leaving behind her young son, Theo.

Pauline described her daughter as a “very bubbly and caring person” with a “big heart” and a “brilliant mother”.

“Jasmin was the baby of the house”, Pauline said. “She was very caring, very bubbly but she was also very naive.

“Jasmin fell in with the wrong crowd. She thought these friends were her friends but they weren’t.”

Pauline said that Jasmin sought help for her addiction issues in the Asha Centre in Omagh and Gransha’s Woodlea House.

“The staff at Woodlea were brilliant, they really tried to help her.

“She did try to get off the drugs and she was off them for six months and she was amazing but she fell back into the drugs again.”

On the night before Jasmin died, Pauline said she asked her to get help.

“I knew the night she died she had something in her but i didn’t know if it was drink or drugs but her speech was the best and I texted her ‘please sober up’ and she texted back ‘I’m trying’.

“At 4 o’clock that morning the police knocked on my door and told me she was dead.”

Jasmine had taken prescription drugs, including pregabalin.

Pregabalin is used to treat epilepsy and anxiety. It is also taken to treat nerve pain.

The prescription drug has been linked to a string of deaths in Derry recently. Three people died as a result of taking the drug.

Five more people were admitted to Altnagelvin Hospital with cardiac arrests.

A local judge was told by police that the deaths were linked to a batch of Pregabalin four times stronger than usual.

As a result Pauline has launched an online petition calling for stiffer sentences for anyone convicted of dealing drugs.

“The sentences are too light,” she said. “These drug dealers are getting two or three months and then they are back out and back dealing again.

“If they’re facing a stretch of 20 to 25 years, it might make them think twice.

“All they care about is lining their pockets and wains are dropping dead.”

Pauline said her motivation behind the petition is to help save peoples lives.

“I’m doing this because nothing will bring my child back but this might help save someone else's child.

“I don’t want any family to feel how my family is feeling these last six months.

“Jasmin was the baby of the house. It’s been awful and everyday it gets harder.”

Pauline needs 100,000 signatures to take the Assembly. She has called for cross-party support in backing her bid to have stronger sentencing for drug offences.