A 23-year-old law student, Damilola Grace Olakanmi from East London fell ill instantaneously after consuming just one sweet mixed with the drug. A snapshot has been released by the family displaying her mother Wumi lovingly kissing her daughter, who can be seen in a hospital bed with tubes taped to her face.
Damilola bought the ‘gummies’ using a messaging app on her phone and had them supplied to her home the same day. Another 21-year-old pal visiting from America also became seriously ill after the pair each had one sweet.
An ambulance was called at 11.30pm on March 29 and Damilola was taken by air ambulance to Queen’s Hospital in Romford in a life-threatening situation. Damilola’s churchgoer mother, Wumi, 51, kept a watch by her bedside until she lost her fight for life on Saturday. Doctors were competent to save her friend, who was later discharged from the hospital.
Yesterday justice campaigner and relative Richard Taylor, 75, pressed young people to fight against drugs. Mr Taylor, who comforted Damilola’s distressed mother, said that Wumi has lost her only child and she has nothing now. He added that it is a terrible warning to all young people about how they live their lives. He insisted that young people should fight drugs. Taylor further said that Damilola was a talented young woman who should be looking forward to her future and having children of her own.
A family member remembers that Damilola was a quiet girl and a bit of a reserved person. Her mother looked up to her. She loved looking after children and wanted to please everyone. The relative said that Damilola’s family will never come to terms with this and we all need to know what happened.
Scotland Yard has cautioned about a possibly deadly batch of cannabis sweets with the branding ‘Trrlli Peachie O’s’. Officers are examining whether the same batch is accountable for the situation of a woman who required treatment last month after eating the sweets in Tower Hamlets.
Detectives are expecting the outcomes of an autopsy investigation and tests on a number of sweets recovered from Damilola’s home. Police have detained a man in link with the case after they found a huge amount of cash and alleged eatable cannabis products.
Leon Brown, 37, of South Norwood has been accused with ownership and intent to source Class B synthetic cannabinoid, being concerned in the supply of a synthetic cannabinoid and ownership with intent to supply a psychoactive material.
At Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Leon appeared in the dock where he was return to custody to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court next month.
Last year schoolchildren as young as eight were taken to hospital after consuming cannabis sweets in Bradford. In London, a number of youths fantasized and passed out after taking the substances.
