Thirsk MP Kevin Hollinrake takes Leah's Law to Parliament

Thirsk and Malton Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake told the Commons on Tuesday (July 19) it should be a specific offence to supply drugs to children, saying a change in the law is needed to “keep young people safe”.

The Thirsk and Malton MP called for reform after 15-year-old Leah Heyes died in 2019 after taking MDMA in Applegarth car park in Northallerton.

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For their role in her death, two older teenagers were sentenced in November 2020 for supplying class A drugs.

Leah's mum, Kerry Roberts, has since campaigned for reform to ensure those who sell potentially fatal drugs to under-16s face toughter sentences.

Mr Hollinrake is supporting her campaign and claimed the sentences given to the dealers involved in supplying the drugs that led to Leah's death were “paltry”,

He told the Commons: “The unimaginable was exacerbated by the fact that the young adults who sold Leah the drugs received custodial sentences of 21 and 12 months respectively.

Leah Heyes and Kerry Roberts

“The two ended up serving a paltry six months each.”

The MP said: “The Supply of Drugs to Children Under 16 (Aggravated Offence) Bill, or Leah’s Law, intends to change the law to make clear that any person under the age of 16 cannot consent to taking illegal substances.

“And by asking our judges to impose tougher sentences on those who supply drugs to our children, this will have a dual affect of keeping young people safe but also acting as a deterrent to those who callously target children.”

He later said: “It cannot be right that a child’s agency is classed as the same as an adult when it comes to something so damaging as drugs.”

Mr Hollinrake paid tribute to Kerry, saying she has “championed tirelessly the case for Leah’s Law”.

The Tory MP said he is disappointed by the Government’s response to a public petition calling for a change in the law, and called for ministers to “think again” and support his Bill.

File photo of Thirsk MP Kevin Hollinrake

The Bill is due to be considered again on Friday October 28 but is unlikely to become law without support from the Government.

The petition got 10,276 signatures before closing in April.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Protecting children from harm is a priority for Government.

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"However, as existing offences already apply for drug supply, we have no plans to make it a specific offence to supply a child with drugs.”

Kerry said she is determined to take her fight further and is grateful to Mr Hollinrake for taking it to Parliament.

She added: “To get it raised in Parliament is an important development. For Leah’s story to be told in the Commons is huge.

"I just can’t bear the thought of another parent going through what we have been through.

"Law and education that is what we need, to stop young people dying. We need to do everything we can to stop this.

"I just can’t stand by, Leah was just a teenager like any other, she didn’t realise what could happen.”

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