A grieving dad has warned it is “silly to even try” heroin as the man who gave his son the drug for the first time was jailed.
Wallace Murphy was just 20 when he died after taking the Class A substance at a flat in Elgin.
Mr Murphy’s parents said the tragic night was the only time their son had ever been tempted into sampling the drug.
Yesterday, dealer Sam McMahon was jailed after admitting giving him the deadly batch of heroin – and then trying to cover up the fatal overdose.
The court heard that after discovering Mr Wallace’s body, McMahon placed a gas canister in his hand to make it appear that he had died from gas inhalation.
And McMahon warned others in the property not to tell anyone he had been there.
Sentencing him to 38 months behind bars, Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov said the grim case “highlighted the sordid reality of drug abuse”.
She added: “This is viewed very seriously by the courts, you tampered with a dead body and encouraged others to do so.”
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Mr Murphy was found dead at a flat in Francis Place on Sunday, May 18, 2014.
Fiscal Kevin Corrins, said: “When the accused visited the property the night before, he took out a quarter of heroin and shared it out.
“He cooked up some and split it between himself and Mr Murphy.
“When Mr Murphy was found dead, the accused placed a canister of gas in his hand and used a dog’s blanket to wipe away any traces that he had touched it.
“The accused then suggested Mr Murphy’s body be moved outside and left somewhere.
“Others present were not keen to be involved in that, though.”
It was only after repeatedly questioning other witnesses that police uncovered what happened.
McMahon, 32, who appeared on remand, admitted supplying Mr Murphy and three others with heroin in Elgin and Keith between May 17 and May 24 in 2014.
He also plead guilty to placing a canister of gas into Mr Murphy’s hand following his death, and warning others not to mention his presence “with the intent to defeat the ends of justice”.
His solicitor, Robert Cruickshank, said McMahon was addicted to heroin at the time and had acted “in shock and panic”.
Last night, Mr Murphy’s family said the tragic evening was the first time the former Lossiemouth High School pupil had tried heroin.
Dad Terence Murphy issued a warning for others to be aware of the catastrophic consequences of sampling the substance even once.
He said: “We believe Wallace had never tried anything like that before, it was just a silly thing he got involved with.
“It goes to show that people shouldn’t even try heroin one time.”
