Newport,South Wales - Woman died after boyfriend injected her with heroin when she was already 'out of it'

Carmella James and Adrian Watson-Cowen were taking heroin together at their home in Newport

A woman died after her boyfriend injected her with heroin when she was already “out of it”.

Carmella James was pronounced dead around 10am on June 10, 2015 by a paramedic who was called to the home in Newport she shared with her partner Adrian Watson-Cowen.

Speaking at Cardiff Crown Court, prosecutor Jonathan Rees described administering heroin as “an inherently dangerous act”.

He added: “It can be described as playing Russian Roulette with that person’s life.”

The court heard the pair met in the mid 1990s through a group of friends who took drugs together and had an “on-off relationship” for the next 20 years.

Prosecutors said Ms James had a “long history” of heroin use and had taken an overdose the weekend before her death.

Mr Rees said the pair injected heroin together around 7pm on June 9, 2015.

A friend arrived later that evening and described Ms James as “gouching” and “out of it”.

The court heard the friend, who stayed overnight, found Ms James around 10am the next day, still in the same position.

Mr Rees said: “She shook her by the shoulder to try and wake her, but noticed her hand was blue.”

Watson-Cowen woke up, saw her face was blue, and gave first aid while waiting for help to arrive.

An ambulance arrived within 20 minutes and Ms James was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Rees said the Crown did not argue that administering heroin caused her death, otherwise the charge would be manslaughter, but said the defendant’s actions did endanger her life.

Watson-Cowen, 50, from Caerau Road in Newport, admitted administering poison so as to endanger life.

The defendant was jailed for a period of three years and three months.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/woman-died-after-boyfriend-injected-12439809