A YOUNG dancer who died after an overdose at a Dorset festival may not have been saved even if she had been treated by doctors sooner, a court has heard.

As reported, Louella Fletcher-Michie took class A party drug 2-CP at Bestival on September 10 2017. She died in woodland an hour before her 25th birthday.

Her boyfriend Ceon Broughton denies manslaughter by gross negligence and supplying her with the drug. The defendant, of Enfield, north London, is currently on trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Prosecutors claim Broughton, 30, failed to take reasonable action to get help for Miss Fletcher-Michie after she fell ill.

She is understood to be the first person to have died after taking the drug.

Giving his closing speech, Broughton's barrister Stephen Kamlish QC told the jury a lack of medical information about the effects of the drug meant it was "impossible" to tell whether any action taken by the defendant could have prevented her death.

He added the toxicology report was inconclusive about the amount of the drug Miss Fletcher-Michie had taken.

Mr Kamlish said the prosecution expert, Professor Charles Deakin, a consultant in cardiac anaesthesia and intensive care, had changed his opinion on the chances of survival.

Prof Deakin first of all gave a cut-off point that she could have survived after 9.10pm, but this later changed after police requested further clarity, it was heard. The expert said Miss Fletcher-Michie had, on the balance of probabilities, a 90 per cent chance of survival with medical intervention.

"There is a possibility, even Professor Deakin himself acknowledged, that she might have taken so much she could not have been saved while it was in her system," Mr Kamlish said.

"[That] means Ceon cannot be held to blame, however bad you find his behaviour.

"Why is someone being prosecuted for the death of someone who may never have survived?"

Mr Kamlish added: "No-one says he intended to cause her harm.

"They were going to have a good time, it was her birthday, she chose to take that drug."

Jurors earlier heard allegations that Broughton filmed Miss Fletcher-Michie as she suffered and died.

"[Broughton] didn't want to leave her alone in the forest. He didn't think she was going to die – he didn't want to leave someone alone having a bad trip," Mr Kamlish said.

"To criminalise him for this would not be just."

The previous day, jurors were shown images of Miss Fletcher-Michie, the daughter of Holby City actor John Michie, walking with Broughton.

A photograph of a small plastic bag containing white powder, which was allegedly found in Broughton's phone case, has also been released by police.

The trial continues.