Talented law student dies after bag of ecstasy bursts in her stomach
A GIFTED law student died on holiday in Ibiza after a bag of ecstasy burst in her stomach.
Becky Brock, 18, was found unconscious by a cleaner in her hotel and it was discovered she had five bags of ecstasy in her stomach, an inquest heard.
A police investigation was launched after authorities found the amount of the class-A drug in her system was ‘double the level’ of a typical fatal dose.
The teenager, who was studying law in Holland after achieving ‘impressive’ A-level results, had travelled to the party island to surprise a friend who was working there but the two never met up.
Yesterday, her mother said she had experimented with cocaine in the past but that she did not believe her daughter would have taken ecstasy – and fears she was forced to swallow the bags.
Margarita Brock, 53, from Nottingham, told the inquest that her daughter would not have willingly taken the pills because she was unable to swallow tablets. She said: ‘She tried cocaine with people she knew and people around her she knew. She said to her sister afterwards that she didn’t like it so she didn’t have to worry.
‘If she didn’t have to take a pill she wouldn’t do because she couldn’t swallow it. I can’t see any other way than someone making that happen.’
She added: ‘ Spanish authorities say five bags were found which were wrapped with elastic bands.’
Becky had suffered body image issues and lost a significant amount of weight in 2015, the inquest heard. But she was described as an engaging and academically gifted girl who had many friends.
She went to Ibiza on September 22, 2015, flying from the Netherlands on a trip she had organised to surprise her close friend, who had been working on the island.
CCTV captured Becky arriving on September 22 and she checked into Hotel Marco Polo in San Antonio. The inquest heard she had ‘various communications’ after she arrived and she went to a club that night but had no contact with anyone after September 23.
She was found dead with a pool of blood next to her head on the morning of September 28. Toxicologist Dr Stephen Morley told the inquest in Nottingham that Spanish authorities found Becky had died around 48 hours before she was found in her room. He said traces of alcohol and a ‘potentially fatal concentration’ of ecstasy were found in her body.
He added: ‘There is certainly evidence of a broken bag. She would have died around half-an-hour from when [ecstasy] entered her blood stream to when she died – that is working on the assumption that she has never taken it before.
‘The most likely cause of death is ecstasy toxicity. The level of MDMA double the reported fatal level.’ Coroner Mairin Casey said she had no idea how she came to ingest the bags and said questions remained over the teenager’s death.
She said: ‘Becky’s parents, Margo and Martin, dearly cared for her. She was welltravelled with her family and had impressive results in her A-levels.
‘Becky was an engaging young person, was extremely sociable and had many friends including many sustained friendships.
‘She had parties at her house where friends would come and go. She was an independent young woman, she was only 18 when she went to study abroad. She was a very gifted young woman – academically gifted.’
The coroner said Becky had tried cocaine when she went to Ibiza in July 2015 with her sister, Anika, now 22.
Returning a verdict of a drug-related death, the coroner said Becky died of intoxication from MDMA and that there was no evidence of any sort of assault. She added: ‘No witnesses to the investigation had seen her take drugs in Ibiza. I find it impossible to say how a pack or packs were ingested.
‘How these bags were in her stomach we will never know. It is likely that Becky became unwell and confused and most probably died a short time thereafter.’
‘She wouldn’t have done it willingly’