Man admits selling toxic slimming pills which killed Shrewsbury student Eloise Parry
An online steroid dealer who sold toxic slimming pills which killed a Shropshire student today said they were not intended for human consumption.
Eloise Parry, from Shrewsbury, died in April 2015 after taking tablets containing the poisonous Dinitrophenol (DNP).
Bernard Rebelo, 31, is on trial at Inner London Crown Court, charged with manslaughter over the death of the 21-year-old student.
He said he started selling steroids online in 2012 and later switched to DNP because “steroids are a class three item but it wasn’t illegal to sell DNP”.
Rebelo admitted during his evidence today that he had sold DNP to Miss Parry.
He told the jury that he included a warning on his website that the substance was not for human consumption.
“It had numerous other uses - photography, fertiliser, pesticide, paint dye,” he added.
Rebelo is also charged with supplying an unsafe food supplement containing DNP between February 24, 2014, and February 24, 2016.
He told the court he did not intend or expect anyone who bought DNP from him to eat it.
His partner, Mary Roberts, 32, from Gosport in Hampshire, faces one count of money laundering.
She allegedly transferred £20,000 for and on behalf of Rebelo.
Rebelo, also from Gosport, denies two counts of manslaughter and one of supplying an unsafe food supplement.
The case continues.
