Helpless Portobello schoolgirl abandoned on freezing winter’s night
A 20 year old man who caused the death of an underage girl by buying her alcohol and abandoning her on a freezing winter’s night has been jailed for three years and two months.
When Ewan Fulton, then 18, left 15-year-old Mhari O’Neill, she was not wearing a jacket and was too drunk to walk.
A dog walker found her body on Calton Hill the next morning. on 7 December 2018.
Pathologists said the probable cause of the teenager’s death was hypothermia, with intoxication.
Last month Fulton appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh and admitted killing Mhairi, who was 15, after buying her alcohol and abandoning her on Calton Hill on 7 December 2018.
Fulton pleaded guilty to culpable homicide. He admitted taking part in sexual activity with the under-age schoolgirl, culpably and recklessly endangering her health and life, and exposing her to risk of injury and death.
Ewan Fulton, who was 18 at the time, bit and throttled Mhari O’Neill, before abandoning her.
Fulton first met Mhari through social media site Yubo.
On the fateful night Fulton said he had bought a large bottle of vodka for them to share after he travelled to Edinburgh from Livingston to meet her.
Fulton told police Portobello High School student Mhari had been so drunk that she kept falling off a bench and could not walk. He claimed he was starting to panic and knew he needed to get the last train home. He maintained he told her several times he was leaving, but did not get a response as she was “unable to speak”.
The following day Fulton, a shop worker, sent Mhairi a text asking: “Are you alive?” He also sent text messages to friends, explaining: “I had no choice but to leave, what was I supposed to do?” and “I got her drunk she’s 15”. He told another friend: “That girl has a family and if I had stayed she would be alive.”
Fulton, from Livingston, abandoned the girl “in a remote and exposed location” in a state of partial undress without means to contact anyone and failed to seek help for her.
The culpable homicide charge stated Fulton behaved with “utter disregard” for the consequences of his actions towards her.
Det Insp Susan Balfour from Police Scotland’s major investigation team said: “This has been a distressing time for Mhari’s family and our thoughts remain with them and her friends.
“We welcome the conviction of Ewan Fulton and hope it brings some comfort to Mhari’s loved ones.”
