Man accused of killing friend in Newry heroin overdose remanded in custody

By Paul Higgins

A man was remanded into custody today (thurs) accused of killing his friend in a heroin overdose.

Appearing in the dock of Banbridge Magistrates Court, sitting in Newry, 32-year-old Mantas Cepas conformed he understood the charges against him.

Cepas, from Cowan Street in Newry, is accused of the manslaughter of his friend Stephen Millington and three drug charges, all relating to heroin, alleging that he had the class A drug, possessed it with intent to supply and of supplying it to another on 17 January this year.

The charges arise after 51-year-old Mr Millington died of a suspected drug overdose at a flat on the Dublin Road in the city.

A Detective constable said she believed she could connect Cepas to the charges and told the Court police were objecting to him being freed on bail amid fears that he would interfere with witnesses or reoffend.

She outlined that at 01.49, police were called to the flat after a report of a suspected drug overdose and found Mr Millington unconscious on the bathroom floor.

The officers performed first aid until the ambulance service arrived but tragically, life was pronounced extinct at 03.30.

She revealed that when the officers arrived, Cepas was found with a syringe in his hand while a female witness Clare she saw him administer heroin into the arm of dead man with the syringe.

Arrested and interviewed, Cepas claimed the deceased gave him £40 to purchase drugs and he asked the defendant to inject him so he injected him on the left arm at the joint.

He told cops he asked Mr Millington if he was okay and he replied it was “good stuff” but at this stage he collapsed so in an effort to revive him, Cepas said he threw water on his face and performed CPR while his phone was used to call police.

 Under cross examination from defence barrister Kevin Magill, the officer agreed that he deceased “was first in the queue” to try the drug and he tried to inject himself but couldn’t so had asked the defendant to inject him.

The lawyer said these were friends engaged in voluntary drug taking and the deceased had paid for the drugs while Cepas acted as a courier.

“There was a drinking binge for a couple of days and this was the culmination of it,” said the barrister adding that Cepas was “very upset” at the loss of his friend.

Deputy District Judge Anne Marshall refused bail however as she was concerned about the risk of re-offending and that he may fail to turn up because he had been the subject of two previous arrest warrants

Cepas was remanded in custody to appear via videolink on February 14.