A YOUNG drug dealer who sold the pills that a killed a 15-year-old Salisbury schoolgirl at an end-of-term party has been jailed.

Jacob Khanlarian, aged 20, sold Leah Kerry three ecstasy tablets for £10 each which she took before going with friends to a park in Newton Abbot where she collapsed in the early hours.

Leah was in Devon to celebrate her grandmother's birthday. She had arranged to go to her home for breakfast but instead died in hospital at around 6am.

Her mother dropped her off the night before she died to meet two friends, one of whom contacted Khanlarian and arranged to buy ecstasy from him at the Cricket Field car park in Newton Abbot.

They bought four tablets, known as Netflix Chills, for £30. Leah took three and the other two girls shared the other one. They then joined other friends at an impromptu end-of-term party at Bakers Park.

Leah started hallucinating and one of her friends called an ambulance at around 2 am. She was taken to Torbay Hospital, where she died.

Bin man Khanlarian, known as Jagger, had been dealing cannabis since he was 16 and ecstasy for two years.

He was making around £250 a week out the cannabis and was expecting to make £750 profit from the batch of 100 ecstasy tablets that he bought for £250 and sold for £10 each.

He handed himself into the police after Leah's death and wrote a note to the judge at Exeter Crown Court setting out his remorse.

It said:"I understand the severity of my case. There is nothing I can do now to change what happened. I just want to say how terribly sorry I am for the pain and grief I have caused the girl's family and friends."

Khanlarian, of Elm Road, Newton Abbot, admitted four counts of supplying the class A drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and one of supplying class B drug cannabis with intent to supply.

He was jailed for three years by Judge Graham Cottle, who said he was taking into account his youth, his genuine remorse and guilty plea.

The judge told him:"I felt it appropriate to read out your letter because it expressed the degree of your remorse for the tragic outcome of this offence.

"The fact that Leah died in consequence of taking these pills is not specified in the sentencing guidelines as an aggravating feature, but it is a tragic feature.

"It simply serves to as a demonstration of the dangers inherent in taking drugs. No sentence I can pass can change the tragic outcome. People must understand that."

Miss Caroline Bolt, prosecuting, said Leah and her mother came to Devon by train on July 14 this year and Leah got off at Newton Abbot, where she used to live, and went to spend the night with friends.

She met two girls of her own age, one of whom knew a dealer nicknamed Jagger. She arranged to buy drugs at the Cricket Field car park and negotiated a reduced rate of £30 for four tablets.

Leah took three, the other two shared the fourth and they all moved on to Bakers Park, where an ambulance was called at 2am.

Khanlarian handed himself in after learning of Leah's death and admitted he had been selling cannabis since 2013 and MDMA since 2015.

He made £80 profit from cannabis every two or three days and expected to sell the 100 MDMA pills he bought for £250 for £10 each. He flushed the rest of his stock down the toilet after learning of Leah's death.

Miss Bolt said toxicology tests on Leah showed she had a very high level of MDMA and traces of other drugs which were at levels which could not have caused her death.

She said:"The level of MDMA was within a range where death can be attributable to its use. We say that although her death is not listed as a significant aggravating feature in the sentencing guidelines, the supply to three girls of 15 is.

"The supply to vulnerable individuals may well have tragic consequences, as it has in this case."

Mr Jeffrey Segan, defending, said Khanlarian is a broken man who has been affected deeply by the terrible result of his actions. He was a heavy user of cannabis and other drugs and supplying to feed his own habit rather than to make any profit.

Leah's family released a tribute through the police after her death.

The statement said reads: "The sudden and tragic passing of our beautiful Leah has been the most painful experience that we have all ever had to endure.

"Leah was a delightful strong-willed, caring and compassionate child and had developed into a courageous and confident young women; who was ready to take on the world.

"Leah had really started to engage in her education and for the first time since leaving primary school, felt very well accepted and supported by her school setting in Salisbury.

"She lit up any room she walked into with her incredible personality, sense of humour, striking looks and demeanour, those who know her will ache to hear the words "You allriiight" one last time.

"Leah had the benefit of good information and advice from many different sources at various intervals of her adolescent life. Leah was well aware of the nature of different illicit substances and the risks attached.

"Sadly, despite being well aware of the risks, she thought she was invincible and she rolled the dice and has paid the ultimate price.

"If there are any young people who have known Leah, or who have heard about her story, I would urge them on Leah's behalf to not make the same mistake and to make better and safer choices when out in the community.

"If even one young person decides to reduce their risk taking behaviour and not take these dangerous tablets, then Leah's death has not been in vain."