A high school friend of Gavin Adams has testified that he felt “scared and confused” after he said the two teenagers took four tabs each of the psychedelic drug 25i and split up one night in December nearly three years ago.
That testimony coming from the now 19-year-old Adrian Goguen at the Saint John trial of 28-year-old Richard Valiquette charged with criminal negligence causing the death of the 17-year-old Adams, whose frozen body was found under a pile of snow off of Chesley Drive two days later.
Goguen met Adams in high school and says the two were close throughout. He was in grade 12 when he passed away.
Gavin Adams
Goguen testified that on December 14, 2013 the 25i was bought and taken at Valiquette’s place on Kennedy Street, and that Valiquette said that this 25i was better than usual, that it was stronger. Goguen spoke about immediately noticing that the drug was hitting him a lot harder than it had before.
“I could barely speak,” says Goguen. ” I couldn’t really get any words out.”
Trouble speaking wasn’t the only effect Goguen says he noticed from the 25i, he also had trouble with his balance and that after they left and were walking back uptown that he had a tough time getting his bearings.
At one point, he testified that he heard a yell and both boys took off with him heading towards the PetroCan on Hilyard Street. He says he didn’t know where Adams was. He ended up eventually approaching police to ask for a ride home but he was taken in a patrol car to hospital where his parents picked him up and brought him home.
He says he learned that Adams was missing the next day.
Adams’ body was found on December 16 following an extensive search. At the time, Saint John police issued an advisory to the public regarding a drug known as 25i, which can be mistaken for LSD.
Valiquette has pleaded guilty to producing the drug DMT but not guilty to criminal negligence causing death.
Richard Valiquette leaving court in 2014
