Shropshire Star

Woman charged over ‘diet pills’ death never saw capsules in her flat, court told

Eloise Parry, 21, died after taking diet pills containing the poisonous Dinitrophenol (DNP).

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Eloise Parry

A woman charged in connection with the death of a student who bought a toxic slimming aid online said she had never seen capsules in the flat she shared with her boyfriend.

Eloise Parry, 21, from Shrewsbury, died after taking diet pills containing the poisonous Dinitrophenol (DNP).

Mary Roberts, 32, from Gosport in Hampshire, told a jury at Inner London Crown Court that she had never seen capsules for making pills where she lived and if she had she would have asked her partner Bernard Rebelo why they were there.

The court was shown footage of a raid by police and council environmental officers at the couple’s Harrow flat in 2016.

At one point an officer is seen picking up what appear to be capsules and setting them on a table.

Rebelo, who is charged with supplying an unsafe food supplement containing DNP between February 24 2014 and February 24 2016, has said he did not intend or expect anyone who bought DNP from him to eat it.

He admitted while giving evidence last week that he sold DNP to Miss Parry.

Roberts denies one count of money laundering after allegedly transferring £20,000 for and on behalf of Rebelo.

During cross-examination she told the court: “I have never seen any capsules in that room or anywhere in the house. Never.”

She also said she had taken little interest in asking details of a business Rebelo had set up to sell “muscle enhancing supplements and protein shakes”.

The court heard the couple had been on three holidays in 2014, to Bulgaria, Paris and Cuba, and had visited Mexico the following year.

But Ms Roberts, who told how she had worked as a nanny earning as much as £500 a week cash-in-hand, said she felt insulted by a prosecution suggestion that the pair had been “rolling in money”.

“I find that really offensive for you to say that to me,” the defendant said.

“I’m a hardworking person. It’s quite insulting.”

Rebelo, 30, also from Gosport, faces two counts of manslaughter and one of supplying an unsafe food supplement. He denies all the charges.

The trial continues.

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