Another teenager has been implicated in the death of 19-year-old Georgina Bartter at Sydney’s Harbourlife Festival last year, with reports that Bartter’s close friend has been charged with supplying the ecstasy pills that led to the teen’s death.
Reports Fairfax, police will allege that 19-year-old Rebecca Hannibal bought a number of “purple speaker” pills from 19 year-old man Matthew Forti in the lead up to Harbourlife and then allegedly gave the pills to Ms Bartter the day before the festival. It is believed that Ms Bartter suffered a fatal reaction to these pills.
Matthew Forti was arrested this past Saturday, 7th February just hours before he was reportedly to attend Sydney dance event, A State Of Trance, where another Sydney teenager died and 20-year-old man was left on life support.
Forti was charged with two counts of knowingly taking part in supplying a prohibited drug between October 27th and November 8th 2014. Police charge sheets say that Mr Forti supplied the pills at Cammeray, the suburb where Ms Hannibal lives.
According to Fairfax, Rebecca Hannibal was arrested in December last year but it was kept quiet while police continued to investigate Mr Forti. She appeared before the Downing Centre Local Court in February facing a single supply charge and pleaded not guilty.
While a coroner’s report is still being prepared, it is believed Georgina Bartter died following a suspected adverse reaction to drugs taken at Harbourlife 2014. Her friends reportedly told police that Bartter had only taken one-and-a-half pills.
Fairfax claim Rebecca Hannibal and Georgina Bartter were close friends and travelled in the same group to Europe last year. She is due before court again on March 18th but has been excused from attending in person.
