Tragic Jack ‘ignored’ family drug warnings
EPILEPTIC HAD ALREADY HAD TWO SEIZURES AFTER TAKING ECSTASY BEFORE DEATH
AN epileptic teenager died after secretly taking drugs on a night out despite warnings from his family and his doctor.
Jack Brereton, 19, had a seizure after taking amphetamines and was found dead in his bed by his mother, an inquest heard.
The hearing was told that the popular youngster had suffered two seizures in July and November last year after taking MDMA, known as Ecstasy, with the second incident leading him to be hospitalised.
After the first seizure he had claimed his drink had been spiked but after the November incident he admitted he had taken the drug willingly.
His mother Lisa Tennant said all his family had spoken to him and warned him not to use recreational drugs as the hearing was told ‘the risk was greater to him than it was to others.’
But on May 6 this year, after a nightout with pals in Stalybridge, he was found lifeless in his bed the next morning, while a friend slept on the floor.
Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and a coroner said he may have been dead for several hours after suffering an ‘unwitnessed’ seizure.
None of his friends saw him take the drugs, but the inquest was told one of his female friends with him on the night said to him ‘why do you look so on it?’ and he replied ‘cos I am.’
He told her had taken a pill but he didn’t say what it was or where he had got it, the hearing was told.
He was discovered by his mother at the family home on North Road in Audenshaw the following morning.
Giving evidence she told the inquest at Stockport Coroners Court: “Jack was face down on the bed. I walked over because I thought ‘why is he not acknowledging me.’
“I tapped him, I shouted him because he’s normally a deep sleeper. I lifted him and his head turned towards me. He was cold. My husband called the paramedics but there was nothing they could do.”
His friend Kai Witty who was with him that night said he hadn’t seen him take any drugs and that they had had a ‘great night’ before arriving back at Jack’s house between 3.30am and 4am.
He says Jack said he wanted to go straight to sleep as he was ‘knackered’ and that he was only awoken by his mum coming into the room in the morning and raising the alarm.
Jack had been diagnosed with epilepsy aged 13-14 after suffering from were later found to be ‘absent seizures.’
However he had ‘grown out of to a large extent’ in his later teenage years the inquest was told and he wasn’t on medication. His only recent seizures were the result of drug use. Asked if he realised how dangerous taking recreational drugs was to his condition Mrs Tennant said: “I don’t think he saw that.
“He didn’t like the fact he had epilepsy, and I think he pretended he didn’t.’
“Even though we told him you’re not the same in that respect. But I think he felt he was 19 and invincible.”
In a statement his GP also said he had been warned about the dangers of using drugs after the November incident.
Toxicologist Julie Evans said the amphetamine found in his blood were ‘not at normally toxic levels’ but said any recreational use could prove fatal given Jack’s medical history.
A post-mortem gave his cause of death as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
Coroner Alison Mutch recorded a conclusion that his death was accidental, saying he had an ‘unwitnessed seizure as the result of amphetamine use.’
She said: “It is clear to me that everyone in Jack’s family had a conversation with him and spoke to him about this (drug use) and made him promise not to take that risk again. Clearly he did take that risk again.”