Neighbours feared there had been a chemical leak
A law student who died after eating just one suspected cannabis gummy was “wailing” in pain moments after eating the sweet, shocked neighbours said.
Damilola Olakanmi, 23, bought the ‘gummies’ through a messaging app and they were delivered to her home in Ilford, east London, where she fell ill last Tuesday (March 29).
She was rushed by air ambulance to Queen’s Hospital, Romford, at around 11.30pm, but died four days later on April 2.
After falling ill, Olakanmi was treated at the scene by paramedics in hazmat suits, causing residents to fear that there had been a chemical leak.
One man who lived nearby said: “At around midnight, I heard a girl wailing and saw her surrounded by emergency services in hazmat suits.
“We were led to believe that it was a chemical leak.
“The police asked to see my CCTV cameras to possibly hunt down the supplier. It’s very sad she lost her life.”
Another neighbour added: “I saw the girl being taken into an ambulance at midnight. The community only found out the cause of death in recent days.”
One woman who lived on the same street as Olakanmi described her as a very “nice” and “pleasant” girl and said she was “very sad” when she found out the student had passed away
A 21-year-old friend who was visiting from the US was also taken ill after having just one of the sweets police suspect was laced with cannabis. She has now been discharged from hospital.
Officers have warned about the dangers of taking illegal substances in the form of cannabis sweets and similar products following the death of a 23-year-old woman from #Ilford
A man has been arrested and charged with drugs supply offenceshttps://t.co/Qk5eDiwsqH
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 4, 2022
Leo Brown, 37, of South Norwood, south London, was arrested on Friday and charged with possession with intent to supply Class B synthetic cannabinoid, supplying a synthetic cannabinoid and possession with intent to supply a psychoactive substance.
He will appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court next month.
Police fear that the dangerous batch of drugs is still circulating. The sweets in question were branded as “Trrlli Peachie O’s” and were found at the scene in “child-friendly packaging.”
Tests are being carried out on them, with detectives trying to establish if there have been any similar cases in London in recent days.
Scotland Yard has confirmed that it is aware of one case last month in which a woman was taken ill after eating a cannabis sweet in Tower Hamlets.
She was taken to hospital and later discharged, and enquiries are underway to work out if this sweet was part of the batch associated with Olakanmi’s death.
Related links:
- Mum used son’s ‘inhaler to smoke drugs’ shortly before he died from asthma attack
- ‘My daughter died from taking 91% pure MDMA – we need to legalise drugs in the UK’
- Moment Aussie drug trafficker notices his 5kg meth stash has vanished
