Teenager dead after suspected overdose at Sydney dance party

Callum Brosnan, the 19-year-old man who died after overdosing at a western Sydney dance party, was found having “a fit” at the nearby train station at 1.20am this morning.

• Tough new drug laws for festivals
• Two dead after Defqon dance festival

Callum Brosnan, the 19-year-old man who overdosed at a western Sydney dance party, was earlier found having “a fit” at the nearby train station.

Police sources told The Daily Telegraph the man ingested prohibited drugs at the rave at Sydney Olympic Park before stumbling to the nearby train station where he collapsed at 1.20am today.

Callum Brosnan died from a suspected drug overdose at the Knockout Games of Destiny Dancy Party. Picture: Facebook

Paramedics were called and the man was taken to Concord Hospital where he was placed in an induced coma but died at 4.30am.

Two 19-year-old women and a 25-year-old man were also taken to hospital following suspected drug overdoses and remain in critical conditions.

Two of the three overdose patients at Westmead Hospital woke from their induced comas this morning but the third, a 19-year-old woman, is still being kept under.

It is understood she has severe kidney failure from the overdose.

Police said 13 people with less serious injuries were taken to hospital and a further 130 people sought medical treatment during the event.

MORE NEWS:

Big squeeze: How Sydney is becoming a mini-Tokyo

Jasmine opens up on her ‘crazy’ life with Karl

Turnbull 2.0: Return of the vengeful son

A teenager has died from a suspected overdose at the dance party.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell said the death was a tragedy and urged partygoers to stop “gambling with their lives”.

“These drugs are not safe, there is no safe limit,” he said.

“Please stay away from drugs all together because if you keep on doing them eventually it might be you.”

Assistant Commissioner Thurtell said he would not comment on whether festivals and dance parties should be subject to stricter regulations.

Three people hospitalised — one in an induced coma — after overdosing.

“That’s not really a matter for me to comment on but what I can say is strong policing operations will continue to be presented at these dance parties because we want to do everything we can take discourage people from taking drugs.”

Hundreds of MDMA capsules were seized, including 390 MDMA allegedly taken from an 18-year-old woman who has since been charged with supply prohibited drug.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the woman allegedly smuggled her stash of 390 MDMA capsules into the dance party in a condom placed inside her body.

She will appear at Burwood Local Court on January 10, 2019.

“A police operation was conducted at the Knockout Games of Destiny Dancy Party held at Sydney Olympic Park involving officers from Auburn Police Area Command, with the assistance of specialist police units,” a NSW Police spokesman said.

“More than 18,000 people attended the dance party and during the police operation, officers issued 69 banning notices and conducted more than 200 searches, with 62 people found in possession of drugs.”

A 25-year-old man who allegedly had 145 MDMA capsules in his possession was denied bail at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.

Bags of drugs were allegedly spilling from Jonathan Carey-Spence’s pants as police searched him about 5pm on Saturday.

The mother of Jonathan Carey-Spence outside court.

Carey-Spence’s distraught mother outside court.

Carey-Spence appeared via audiovisual link in Parramatta Bail Court on charges of supply and possession, where magistrate Darryl Pearce said Carey-Spence was already facing drug charges in the District Court.

The court heard Carey-Spence was being assessed for an “intensive corrections order” in relation to the other charges which would allow him to serve a sentence for the district court matter in the community instead of going to jail.

“Having regard to the fact he had been given that opportunity … he’s committed what it seems to me, serious offences,” Mr Pearce said. “I’m refusing bail.”

There is no suggestion the drugs allegedly found on Carey-Spence contributed to the death of the 19-year-old man.

Carey-Spence’s distraught mother would not discuss the charges outside court, saying only that she was concerned for her son’s health.

He is due to face Burwood Local Court again on Monday

Hundreds of MDMA capsules were seized at the party.

Assistant Commissioner Thurtell said it was important that young people knew there was no safe way to do drugs.

“Police and emergency services continue to send warning messages about illegal drugs, and many festival-goers are choosing to ignore them,” he said.

“There is no acceptable use for drugs — the message is clear. We will continue to have a strong presence at festivals and dance parties with the wellbeing and safety of attendees our number one priority”.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the man’s death is currently underway by officers from Auburn Police Area Command and anyone with information that may assist is urged to come forward.

Speaking to reporters in Sydney on Sunday morning, Ms Berejiklian confirmed a raft of measures recommended by an expert panel to stop deaths at music festivals after two people died at the Defqon. 1 festival in September had already been implemented two weeks ago before last night’s event.

The measures included tougher penalties for drug dealers, tightening regulation of festivals and improving drug and alcohol education for young people.

The Games of Destiny Dance Party held at Homebush.

“I’m beside myself that young people aren’t getting the message. Of course we want young people to have fun but don’t take an illegal substance — it can kill you. And that’s why we took the measure to increase penalties for people supplying these illegal substances to a maximum of 20 years,” Ms Berejiklian said.

When asked if the new measures had gone far enough, Ms Berejiklian said the onus fell on young people thinking about taking drugs.

“At the end of the day it comes to young people also really accepting the fact that when you take something and you don’t know where it’s from but you know it’s illegal — do not take it, it can kill you. It can kill your friends if you’re the one supplying it and if it’s found that you’ve supplied something which has led to death you could now be locked up for 20 years.”

However, Ms Berejiklian said the government would not reconsider its position on the implementation of pill testing at music festivals following last night’s death.

“We don’t know that every pill would be tested anyway,” she said.

“Unfortunately we know that pill testing won’t work because it will give people a green light to taking substances which in the end could still kill them. Pill testing doesn’t mean that it’s safe, it won’t be safe. I would hate to think that even after something’s being tested that somebody dies, that would not be a good outcome.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said regulating dance raves was a state government responsibility but stressed “the loss of any young life is a tragedy”.

“Most of those issues fall to state governments in terms of how they address those issues,” he said.

“The loss of any young life is a tragedy … governments, families, communities and all of us have to work together to ensure that we are protecting our young people … you can never rest on protecting our young people and I won’t.”