A new mother died after using cocaine on the first night out following the birth of her child, a UK court heard, and now two men are being charged in connection to her death.
Becky Tollan, 23, died at a house in Lanarkshire, Scotland, back on July 15, 2019, after meeting two men at a local pub while partying with her sister-in-law, according to the New York Post.
Two Men Just Charged With Culpable Homicide In 2019 Cocaine Death Of Young New Mother
Now, over three years later, the men – Barry McAuley, 40, and Martin Stewart, 34 – are being charged with culpable homicide after allegedly providing Tollan with the Class A drug.
On Wednesday, the pair’s trial began, with Tollan’s sister-in-law, Pamela Tollan, even taking the stand to testify about the pretty young mother’s tragic death.
“Becky started shaking,” Pamela emotionally told the court, according to the Mirror. “I just thought she was cold to start with. I was saying: ‘What is happening to her?’ I was shouting: ‘Becky! Becky!’ “
Pamela added that on the evening of July 14, she and Tollan went out to a bar to celebrate her first night out since giving birth to a baby boy just weeks prior.
New mom dies after doing cocaine on first night out after birth of baby https://t.co/AhKj80TM8F pic.twitter.com/9I8nKRoiGo
— New York Post (@nypost) November 9, 2022
The two were at a table alone when McAuley and Steward reportedly ordered them drinks.
Young Mother, Sister-In-Law Were At Nearby Pub Celebrating Mom’s First Night Out When They Met The Two Men
The women eventually made their way over to talk to the two men, where the four soon began drinking together.
Pamela told the court the Tollan then asked the men if they had any “stuff.”
“I knew exactly what she meant … asking if they had any cocaine,” the heartbroken sister-in-law stated.
That’s when one of the men reportedly took out a “wee bag” of cocaine before Tollan went into the bathroom to sniff it.
The new mom allegedly continued to consume more of the drug throughout the night, and after the group later moved to a nearby house in the area.
Rebecca Tollan, 23, passed away at a house in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, in July 2019. Barry McAuley, 40, and Martin Stewart, 34, went on trial charged with the culpable homicide of Rebecca. https://t.co/FI3eDu5Szc
— News Pug (@news_pug) November 9, 2022
“Becky was her own person. No matter how much you told her, she would not listen,” Pamela declared. “I did tell her: ‘You do not need it … you are having a good time’. I told her to stop because you do not need it.”
Tollan Started Shaking After A Night Of Drug Abuse, Sister-In-Law Tells Court
As the evening came to a close and as Pamela and Tollan were getting ready to leave the home, the young new mother suddenly starting shaking.
One of the two men allegedly asked Pamela if Tollan had “epilepsy.”
“I said no. He put her in the recovery position,” Pamela recalled, claiming that Tollan was “constantly” fitting and was bleeding from the mouth after biting her own tongue.
First responders rushed to the home, however they were unable to revive Tollan, who was pronounced dead a day later on July 15.
Who was Rebecca Tollan
Rebecca Tollan Bio – Rebecca Tollan Wiki
Barry McAuley, 40, and Martin Stewart, 34, yesterday went on trial charged with the culpable homicide of Rebecca.https://t.co/7rSX7grivA pic.twitter.com/ZFV4CrYt9R— prizebondlives (@WorldWikis) November 9, 2022
Both Men Have Pleaded Not Guilty, Sister-In-Law Insists Tollan Was Sober Throughout Pregnancy
Pamela insisted that her sister-in-law had refrained from using any drugs or alcohol during her pregnancy, telling the court that her lack of tolerance may have led to her body being overwhelmed on the first night out after giving birth.
Both Stewart and McAuley have pleaded not guilty to the charges, while the trial remains ongoing.
