Police who attended the scene testified that the ‘party’ had occurred largely in the defendant’s bedroom, where they discovered evidence of bondage and other sado-masochistic activity.
Though the sexual activity itself took place by mutual consent, at least initially, the defendant admitted that unbeknownst to Hendrick, he was using concealed cameras to film the encounter for later viewing. The final tape proved decisive in Reilly’s conviction, showing him administering intravenous doses of cocaine to Hendrick when she was too intoxicated to give her consent.
Police arrested him at the scene after calls from a downstairs neighbour disturbed by noise. He will be sentenced on Friday.
Speaking outside the court, investigating officer Detective Inspector Michael Iveson said, ‘This was a deeply disturbing case for all concerned. Though Ms Hendrick was initially a willing participant in the events that took place at Nicholas Reilly’s home, there can be no question that Reilly behaved in a depraved and inhuman manner, first by administering doses of cocaine and continuing sexual activity for his own pleasure after Ms Hendrick suffered breathing difficulties and began to lose consciousness. And secondly when, aware of the illegal nature of the drug-taking and his role in supplying Ms Hendrick, and afraid of the consequences, he failed to call for medical assistance.
‘This is a man who, even under the effects of sustained drinking and drug-taking, was able to calculate his own sexual gratification and freedom as worth more than the life of another human being. There can be no doubt that his callous failure to act resulted in Ms Hendrick’s death. He will no doubt spend a considerable length of time behind bars and we hope that Ms Hendrick’s friends and family will find some comfort in that.’
‘SICK NICK’ REILLY TAPED SEX ACTS
AS LOVER FOUGHT FOR LIFE
By: Gazette reporter
Published 17 November 2002
Perverted Nick Reilly shot secret footage of lover Patricia Hendrick as she lay dying.
Convicted of manslaughter yesterday at Winchester Crown Court, sick nick admitted to using secret cameras to film himself having rough sex with Patty, 25, as a cocaine-related blockage in her lungs left her fighting for life.
During the course of the trial, a horrified jury was forced to watch footage of monster Nick injecting a barely conscious Patty with more cocaine.
Even when Patty lost consciousness altogether, cowardly Nick, afraid of the consequences, failed to ring for an ambulance.
Her body was discovered when police came to investigate reports of a disturbance.
Before his arrest, Sick Nick, 28, was flying high, earning a six-figure salary, enjoying several exotic foreign holidays a year and driving a brand-new porsche.
Blonde Patty was well known in her circle as a party girl who loved the company of wealthy friends, especially men. A friend who wished to remain anonymous said, ‘Patty was no saint – she liked to go out, have a good time, and she liked male attention. There was always something naive about her, though, despite her wild behaviour – she was a bad judge of character. All it was going to take was for her to meet one wrong person and tragically she did.’
Early in the trial, the jury heard how the pathologist was at first confused to find DNA belonging to two different men when he examined the body. Nick’s brother, Mark Reilly, founder of City software success story DataPro, told jurors that he had been dating Patty at the time of her death.
Mark Reilly told the court that he and Patty had enjoyed a tryst in a lavatory at the club just twenty minutes before she left the venue with his brother. He returned from buying drinks for himself and Patty to find that the pair had gone.
Sitting in the public gallery yesterday, Mark Reilly wept openly as the jury delivered their verdict on his brother.
Acquaintances of Sick Nick were today reeling at news of his conviction. Liza Miller, a former classmate at his high school in Eastbourne, Sussex, said, ‘I’m shocked – totally shocked. Nick had a wild streak, we all knew that, but we thought it was just fun – I never thought he could actually physically hurt someone. We were so young and stupid then, it’s terrifying to think what could have happened. It could have been any of us.’
To others, the news came as less of a surprise. Martin Westing, another classmate, said, ‘The blokes always knew there was something wrong there but the girls loved him. He could charm them out of the trees like birds.’
Becca George, described by others as an old flame of Reilly’s, was initially reluctant to talk but told the Gazette that: ‘Nick could be very persuasive. With him, everything was fun, exciting. He lived in the moment – there was no thought for the consequences.’