Luke Delphin admitted supplying the GHB that killed Alesha Fernando, 13
ALESHA Fernando’s mother found her only child face down on a mattress in the government-funded flat of a man who had given her a deadly dose of the drug GHB. Today he wept as he admitted his role in her death.
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ALESHA Fernando’s mother found her only child face down on a mattress in the government-funded flat of a stranger who had given her a deadly dose of the drug GHB.
Today that impulsive criminal, Luke Delphin, pleaded guilty to a series of charges including supplying the 13-year-old girl with the illicit drug that killed her.
A heartbreaking statement from Alesha’s mother, Katrina Gavan, was read to the County Court by a relative during Delphin’s plea hearing, detailing how the agony of losing Alesha left her own life seeming meaningless.
The County Court heard the then 19-year-old Delphin met up with Alesha, 13, and another girl through mutual friend Liam Cuttriss on June 20 last year.
But in what the court heard was a “tragedy” a night of drug taking at Delphin’s government-funded unit in Dandenong ended in Alesha overdosing on the cheap and deadly drug GHB.
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The court heard Alesha was supplied with six millilitres of the drug — far more than anyone in the unit consumed.
Delphin also made sexual overtures towards the younger teen, but it was accepted by the court Alesha had told Delphin she was 17-years-old.
“Luke Delphin kept asking her if she wanted more GHB,” prosecutors Daryl Brown told the court.
The group also consumed cannabis.
Apart from supplying a drug of dependence to a child, Delphin also pleaded guilty to other crimes including car theft, possessing a knife and tomahawk, possessing methylamphetamine, driving offences, resisting arrest after assaulting a police officer and theft.
Ms Gavan’s statement said she re-lived the “hysterical” phone call from a friend that went to Delphin’s Dandenong apartment to check on her daughter, who was found face down and unconscious on a mattress.
“I imagine her lying there alone,” her statement read.
“Alesha was 13 years and 10 months.
“Every day I say no, no, no.
“I feel like I’ll never be happy again.”
Ms Gavan’s boss terminated her employment a day before Alesha’s funeral because she had been absent from work.
She has since held family gatherings to celebrate the two birthdays her daughter has missed since her death.
Alesha organs were donated after she could not be revived in hospital — saving three lives.
A lawyer for Delphin said he had lived a disadvantaged childhood and consumed drugs since he was aged nine, when he began chroming.
It developed into other substance abuse and he began taking ice by the age of 14.
He has an IQ of 66, described as “extremely low”.
Sitting handcuffed in the dock he was tearful as the victim impact statements were read out.
Delphin, 20, will be sentenced on October 17.
He is currently in protective custody because of threats made toward him.
He has been in custody since his arrest on June 22 last year.