Questions over who gave fatal injection
ARUNCORN dad who died from a heroin overdose might have been a ‘naive user’ rather than an addict and may have been ‘taken advantage of’ by others, an inquest heard.
Peter McLinden, 38, of Rushfield Crescent, Brookvale, was declared deceased during the early hours of Sunday, August 7.
The father-of-two was one of two Runcorn residents who died that same day due to heroin and diazepam toxicity, the other being mother-of-four Donna Mullen, 47, at home on Arthur Street in an unrelated case.
Mohammad Al-Jafari, pathologist, said toxicology tests revealed Mr McLinden had a heroin blood concentration of 293 micrograms per litre, more than ‘usual’ fatal levels of 100-150μg/L.
Other substances found were diazepam, tramadol and cocaine.
Heroin toxicity, exacerbated by diazepam, was recorded as cause of death.
North West Ambulance Service was called by 999 at 3.29am from a caller who said ‘we were having white and brown’, meaning cocaine and heroin.
Paramedics were on scene at 3.41am.
The patient had already been injected with heroin antidote naloxone before they arrived.
Resuscitation attempts ceased at 4.06am.
Witness Darren Cosgrove, who was produced in handcuffs from prison for the hearing, said he made the 999 call but denied having taken or supplied drugs.
He said he had administered ● the naloxone. Mr Cosgrove said he had gone to the flat at about 6pm on August 6.
He said it was still light, and the deceased and an unknown woman called ‘Marie’ had gone into Peter’s bedroom for 20 minutes where he presumed they took drugs.
She left, and he went to make a cup of tea and upon returning found Mr McLinden ill on the floor. Mr Cosgrove said the woman was not Maria Bates, another witness called to give evidence to the hearing.
Detective Constable Adam Murdock told the inquest Mr Cosgrove was arrested and interviewed under caution for stealing the deceased’s mobile phone – which was pawned for £20 at Cash Converters, supplying Class A drugs and obstructing police for denying knowledge of the phone.
Miss Bates said she had not seen Peter on August 6-7, but said he had told her he had a ‘brilliant time with the kids’ on holiday.
Elizabeth and William McLinden, Peter’s parents, cast doubt on whether Peter had injected himself, saying he was righthanded but puncture marks were found inside his right elbow.
After hearing details of a graze and bruise on Peter’s head but no bruising elsewhere, Mr Rheinberg concluded there was ‘no evidence at all’ he had been restrained.
Peter had been on diazepam and zopiclone prescriptions for depression. As he often worked away, as an overhead linesman, he sometimes obtained these substances illicitly.
Mrs McLinden said Peter always ‘thought he could care for people’, was a ‘hard worker’ and ‘was keeping himself very fit’ but ‘worried’ about illness.
Mrs McLinden said her son had said Maria was struggling to help a friend who ‘was a drug addict’ and people were ‘persecuting him’ and ‘he couldn’t get rid of them’.
William McLinden said his son felt sorry for Miss Bates.
The inquest heard Peter was ‘compassionate’ and may have been ‘taken advantage of’.
DC Murdock said the Independent Police Complaints Commission had been notified of a complaint over a probe into someone setting up an online account using Peter’s name after his death.
Mrs McLinden added that someone had pretended to be Peter to try to obtain diazepam from a doctor.
The coroner concluded the death was due to a combination of heroin and diazepam.
Mr Rheinberg said Miss Bates had an ‘honest affection for Peter’ but some evidence did not ‘make sense’ and raised the possibility she had been at the flat.
He concluded Peter was a ‘naive user’ of heroin and would not have had the level of tolerance as regular users or addicts.
In his conclusion he said: “It may be that Peter was injected as opposed to injected himself.
“I don’t find that this was against his will. It was of course a combination that led to his death and a combination (that) involved his prescription diazepam in conjunction with heroin.
“It’s a very dangerous combination and if it can be the case I find certainly on the balance of probabilities it was both Peter McLinden and Mr Cosgrove, and possibly this woman whose identity I cannot confirm one way or another, all took the same amount of drug.”
He added: “I do emphasise that my findings are on the basis of probability.
“I know you Mr and Mrs McLinden have other thoughts on what happened and it’s possible that you are correct. I have to work with the evidence and find what is more likely.”