Qld woman wants justice for son's death

A Gold Coast mother says she fears the man she blames for her son's death is only going to be given a "slap on the wrist" and will not be sent to jail.

Lisa Clayton could barely contain her rage when she heard the man she blames for her son's death was only facing "minor charges".

Her 21-year-old son Michael died in April after using a patch containing the drug fentanyl - a powerful painkiller and tranquilliser - to help relieve pain he was suffering from an injury sustained during a gym workout.

His personal trainer, Christopher William Walmsley, also 21, allegedly gave him the patch.

Walmsley faced Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday for the first time since his arrest last month, when he was charged with supplying and possessing dangerous drugs, including fentanyl and steroids.

His lawyer, Campbell MacCallum, asked the court to remove a bail condition that required Walmsley to report to police every Thursday.

"It was imposed by the watchhouse for no reason - he has no history, minor charges," Mr MacCallum said.

Those words left Ms Clayton, who was sitting in the back of the court with her family, seething.

"My son's gone, so it's not minor and to hear that, it hurts," she said outside the court.

"I was just so angry I felt like I was going to explode inside."

Ms Clayton said her son trusted Walmsley, which made his unexpected death all the more difficult to comprehend.

"I'm never going to see him again and I can't come to terms with that yet," she said.

"From what we were told in the hospital, he had no chance when he put that patch on - the dose was just way too high and it was not something even the doctors and nurses hand out."

The grieving mother said she did not want another family to experience the same pain and has called for tougher penalties for people who supply dangerous drugs that result in death.

"It shouldn't be out there for people to obtain - it's wrong," she said.

"How many other people are going to end up dead from it?"

Ms Clayton said she would like to see Walmsley serve time in jail, but doubted that would happen.

"He hasn't got any other charges, just a slap on the wrist and a fine, and off he goes," Ms Clayton said.

"I can't do anything about that."

Walmsley's reporting condition was revoked and he will appear again in court on September 15.


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Source: AAP


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Qld woman wants justice for son's death | SBS News