Fife girl hospitalised after taking ecstasy pill sold behind surgery

The Courier

23-04-2025

A Fife teenager sold ecstasy to schoolchildren behind a Dunfermline doctor's surgery after marketing his products on Instagram.
During one deal with Reiss Leighton, a teenage girl started vomiting and 'felt as though she could not move' after taking one of the pills.
Leighton was rumbled after school staff found two of the class A tablets in a purse belonging to one of the girls.
A search of Leighton's home uncovered 'la casa de papel' ecstasy tablets of the same kind found in the purse, as well as various phones containing messages indicative of drug dealing.
Leighton, now 20, of Donald Street, Dunfermline, appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to plead guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and ecstasy.
The ecstasy dealing spanned November 26 2023 to February 13 last year and the cocaine dealing was between November 26 and December 30 2023.
His offending took place at Linburn Road Health Centre, Nith Street, an address in Mackie Place and elsewhere.
Prosecutor Duncan MacKenzie told the court that towards the end of January last year, a 14-year-old became aware of Leighton's Instagram account, with the name 'Fifesmoke2023' and Leighton advised on his story he was selling ecstasy.
The teenager messaged Leighton on the app asking when he was getting 'tabs' and an arrangement was made to meet behind Linburn surgery.
This teenager and another 14-year-old bought two ecstasy tablets for £10.
They ingested a tablet each but one of them started feeling very unwell.
The fiscal depute said: 'She was dizzy, vomited and felt as though she could not move'.
Family members picked her up and took her to hospital.
Both teenagers went to Victoria Hospital and were monitored before being discharged the next day, with no lasting effect.
One of the children messaged Leighton again in early February last year requesting a 'free sample' and was again told to meet at the doctor surgery.
He gave the girl a light pink tablet and told her it was a '300mg la casa de papel eccie'.
Two days later the same girl accompanied two 15-year-olds to buy ecstasy tablets from Leighton.
The fiscal said: 'They left school at lunchtime and met at the back of Linburn doctors surgery'.
One of the teens paid Leighton £5 for a small bag containing two tablets.
As they were leaving, one of their fathers saw them and contacted their school.
Staff spoke with one of the teenagers, who denied any knowledge of the two tablets they recovered from her purse.
Police were contacted and attended the school on February 9, took statements from the children and seized the tablets.
They were found to contain MDMA and were in the shape of a head with the imprint of a moustache on one side and 'la casa de papel' on the reverse, the fiscal said.
One of the girls later showed her mother two images of Leighton and police were able to search his then-address in Mackie Place on February 13.
A pink box containing bags and pills were among items seized.
One bag contained two tablets 'virtually the same' as those seized from the purse of one girl at school, the fiscal said.
The value of the MDMA recovered from the property was £140 in tablets and £60 in crystals.
One bag contained 3g of cocaine with an approximate value of £300.
Cash amounting to more than £540 was recovered, as well as several iPhones.
The mobile phones were examined and found to contain numerous messages from Leighton relating to the supply of cocaine and ecstasy.
Defence lawyer Callum Harris said warehouse worker Leighton was 19 at the time of the offending.
He had his own drug problems and financial difficulties, which led to this 'operation growing', although he is now drug-free.
Sheriff Robert More adjourned sentencing until May 20 to obtain background reports and bail was continued meantime.