A FATHER who supplied drugs to his son the day before he died in a car crash has been branded morally responsible by a judge.

Shaun Packer is facing sentence after admitting three charges of supplying morphine to 18-year-old heroin addict Danny, in November 2003.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that the teenager had been living with his aunt until about two weeks before his death. He then stayed with his father in Victoria Street, Sheerness.

Stephen Chippeck, prosecuting, said Danny began to ask his father to “sort him out” and get him drugs. On three consecutive days in November, Packer obtained drugs, “cooked” them and gave them to his son. On November 25 at 11.15pm, Danny was killed in a car he was driving.

"I should make it clear that it is not the Crown's case that there is any nexus between the drugs he was given and what happened in the car," said the prosecutor.

The only dispute between the prosecution and defence, he said, was the question of how Danny was given the drugs.

The evidence was that the 40-year-old father injected Danny, but the allegation was denied. "The point is, the charge is supply of a controlled drug," said Mr Chippeck.

When arrested in March last year, Packer also denied supplying drugs and knowing that his son had been using heroin.

Scott Ivall, defending, said the circumstances were tragic. "He has lost his oldest son,” he said.

Providing Danny with the drug was not something he did lightly, he said.

Mr Ivall said Packer had shown the grief he felt over the loss of his son. "Because of difficulties with Danny's mother and her friends, he was not able to attend the funeral because he didn't want there to be further difficulties at that sad event," he said.

After laying a wreath on the grave, he returned to find it had been discarded. His car had also been daubed and he had suffered personal injury.

Packer was held in custody for seven months from May 21 until December 20.

Judge Michael Lawson, QC, said he was well aware of Packer’s problems that followed his son’s death. Supplying class A drugs, he said, was usually met with a prison sentence and he had in mind four months.

But because of the background to the case and the obvious consequences for Packer, he said he was asking for a probation report.

Conditional bail was granted.