Grieving mother makes formal complaint against police after death of her daughter

Natalie Reeve also called on the police to do more to clamp down on drug dealing and the use of Class A drugs in grooming children after a coroner ruled that her 17-year-old daughter died as a result of taking heroin and cocaine.

Sophie Read – who was described in court as “extremely vulnerable and complex” – was found dead on a sofa in an Airbnb flat in St Aubyns, Hove, two years ago after taking a cocktail of alcohol and drugs while spending the night with Reis Forde.

“Losing a child is the most horrific thing in the world,” said Natalie Reeve. “To hear about her on that sofa was disgusting.”

Following a four-day inquest in Hove, Dr Karen Henderson, Assistant Coroner for Brighton and Hove, ruled that it was “more likely than not Mr Forde was the source of the drugs that were found from Sophie’s toxicology results and they directly caused her death”.

Forde, 26, told the inquest last week he found Sophie dead on the sofa.

His evidence prompted Miss Reeve to complain to the police.

The court heard Forde phoned Sinead Doyle, of Worthing, several times after he found the teenager. It was Doyle who contacted the emergency services.

She later claimed she had spent the night with Sophie and Forde but this evidence was dismissed by the court.

Forde was arrested on February 25 for supplying Class A drugs in connection with the death, while the pair were later arrested for perverting the course of justice on July 24.

READ MORE: Teenager's inquest told of a 'significant lapse of care'

But as there were no criminal charges brought against them due to a lack of evidence, Miss Reeve only found out what happened on the night her daughter died while attending the inquest.

“What [Forde and Doyle] did was criminal,” said Miss Reeve. “If speaking out about Sophie’s death today can help prevent one parent from going through this it will be worth it. This could be any parent in my shoes tomorrow morning. The last two years have just been horrific and the pain never stops.”

Forde pleaded guilty at Hove Crown Court on February 18 this year to three charges of being involved in drug dealing in Brighton in a case that was unrelated to the inquest.

Miss Reeve said more needed to be done to clamp down on drug dealing in Brighton.

“It’s time that something was done about the amount of drug dealing going on here and the grooming of young children through drugs,” she said. “Every day we hear about county lines and these drug gangs coming down from London and the police and the whole criminal justice system should be doing more to stop it.

“When someone is convicted of drug dealing judges should be given more sentencing powers so anyone convicted of supplying drugs goes to go to jail for a very long time.”

Miss Reeve paid tribute to her daughter, who had been living in Brighton under the care of West Sussex County Council at the time of her death.

“She was so funny and quick witted,” said Miss Reeve. “Absolutely delightful. We spent so much time during her short life laughing. She was never miserable and was so very generous.

“For the first six years of her life she literally never left my side. I miss her so much.”

Miss Reeve also paid tribute to the charity Compassionate Friends, which supported the family following the death, and to Sefton Kwasnik of Manchester-based Ozon Solicitors who represented the family at the inquest and assisted with the complaints against Sussex Police.

“I’ll forever be grateful to Compassionate Friends for their support and to Sefton for everything he did for us,” she added.

The response from Sussex Police can be read here.