Gosport man who sold pills that killed university student appeals against his conviction

A MAN who sold slimming pills over the internet that caused the death of a university student has launched an appeal to challenge his conviction.
Eloise Parry. Picture: West Mercia Police/PA WireEloise Parry. Picture: West Mercia Police/PA Wire
Eloise Parry. Picture: West Mercia Police/PA Wire

Bernard Rebelo, 31 from Gosport, is serving a seven-year sentence after being found guilty of the manslaughter of Eloise Parry, 21 from Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

She died in hospital on April 12, 2015, after taking eight tablets containing the poisonous Dinitrophenol (DNP).

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Rebelo, 31, was sentenced to a total of seven years at Inner London Crown Court after being convicted of two counts of manslaughter and one of placing unsafe food on the market.

Today, Rebelo will have his case reviewed by Court of Appeal judges.

When sentencing, Judge Jeremy Donne described Miss Parry as an ‘intelligent, articulate young woman who struggled with her mental health.’

He told Rebelo: ‘She thought she had found in your so-called fat-burning capsules a magic solution for her distorted body-image and difficulties with bulimia nervosa. She was of course quite wrong.’

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The court heard Miss Parry started taking the chemical in pill form in February 2015, and soon became addicted and dependent on the yellow powder in the capsules.

Rebelo admitted while giving evidence during his trial that he sold DNP to Miss Parry.

He said he included a warning on his website that the substance was not for human consumption.

The court heard that among other things, DNP could cause multiple organ failure, hypothermia, nausea, coma, muscle rigidity, cardiac arrest and death.

Felicity Gerry QC, defending, described Rebelo as a ‘devoted family man’ with a young child.

She told the court: ‘It is not a case where there is any intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm.’