The death of a 20-year-old in a Dubai hotel, a case that shocked the British public, is now the subject of a court case. His mother is accused of manslaughter after a packet of cocaine he had swallowed ruptured in his stomach.
Jensen Westhead, from Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, had flown from Manchester Airport to the United Arab Emirates to transport several packets of cocaine he had swallowed. He was found dead on December 5, 2024, in a room at the Avalon hotel, a day after arriving in Dubai.
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As the Daily Mail reports, his mother, Rebecca Hatch, 45, her husband, Glenn Hatch, 51, and three others have appeared at Preston Crown Court in connection with the young man’s death.
According to prosecutors, his mother and stepfather knew what the 20-year-old was doing and helped him leave by arranging for his passport to be renewed and driving him to Manchester Airport.
To support this claim, prosecutors presented messages the young man exchanged with his mother during his journey to Dubai. They say the messages show that Rebecca Hatch knew what her son was doing and the risk he was taking.
The other three defendants are Alexander Tofton, 33, Joseph Watson, 32, and Steven Stephenson, 48. Prosecutors allege that each played a role in an international cocaine trafficking network.
The court also heard that Steven Stephenson’s fingerprints were found on one of the drug packets recovered from the victim’s body during the post-death investigation.
Prosecutors also say that, after the 20-year-old’s death, steps were taken to delete data from several mobile phones. A note expressing regret and responsibility for the young man’s death was also found at one defendant’s home.
All five defendants deny the charges of manslaughter and involvement in the export of a Class A drug. One of them is also accused of failing to provide the PIN for a phone during the investigation.
