Bank clerk died after overdosing on drug ecstasy
ABANK clerk from Runcorn died after overdosing on ecstasy.
Nathan John Dennett, 29, of Moorland Drive, Murdishaw, Runcorn, suffered from the effects of acute toxicity after taking the drug in MDMA powder form mixed with drinks after a night out in Liverpool, an inquest heard.
Tests done by toxicologist Christopher Madden found 3.5 milligrams of ecstasy’s active compound MDMA per litre of Mr Dennett’s blood, within the fatal range, which assistant coroner for Cheshire Jean Harkin said is usually between 0.6 and 3.7mg/L.
She said the typical amount found in a recreational MDMA user is 0.3 mg/L.
Mr Madden said Mr Dennett’s concentration of MDMA was ‘excessive’.
Blood and urine analysis also found amphetamine, cannabinoids and low levels of alcohol – about a quarter of the drink-drive limit and far from amounts that would cause problems to an ordinary healthy person.
A pathologist found no sign of trauma or acute disease that could have played a role in his death.
On Friday, the inquest heard that Mr Dennett’s cousin Craig Horabin found his body in bed at home on the morning of after they had been out the night before drinking and socialising in Liverpool.
In a statement provided to the inquest, Mr Horabin said he tried to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation but could not revive Mr Dennett.
Paramedics pronounced the former Liverpool John Moores University history student dead at 10.36am on July 25 last year.
Mr Horabin said Mr Dennett had taken MDMA a couple of times before that he knew about and had been told he had taken it while at university.
On the night of Mr Dennett’s death, Mr Horabin said his cousin had taken the MDMA with drinks after they had returned home.
They went for a walk by the canal and the witness said Mr Dennett was acting ‘silly’ and ‘doing stupid things’ such as throwing away his shoes and wallet, leading to Mr Horabin trying to retrieve them.
When asked whether this was ‘out of character’, he replied ‘yeah, he was being silly and laughing like it was a joke’.
Mr Horabin carried his cousin much of the way home after Mr Dennett said he had hurt his foot, then ‘kept saying his leg was hurt’ but seemed ‘quite happy’.
PC Stuart Hutchison, Cheshire police’s attending officer, ruled out thirdparty involvement any suspicious circumstances.
He also looked into whether there were any potential links, whether socially or via a dealer, with another ecstasy death that had happened around the same time but found none.
General practitioner Sharon Chapelhow reported via a written statement read to the court that Mr Dennett had suffered issues with indigestion, nausea and minor viral illness but nothing serious.
The coroner also read excerpts from the deceased’s mother Karen Dennett’s statement about her son.
She said Mr Dennett had studied history at JMU but had dropped out, albeit with a view to return one day and complete his degree.
She added that he was a good conversationalist and able to communicate well with others.
He was also an eager video gamer.
After leaving university, her son had lived with his grandfather for a time before moving back to the family home and into a garage converted into accommodation with a front door to come and go as he wanted.
Mr Dennett was born in Widnes in 1988, the inquest heard.
He was single and worked as a bank clerk.
Mrs Harkin cited medical evidence as stating that MDMA can cause symptoms such as hypertension, coma, sweating and cardiac toxicity.
After hearing the evidence from family, medical and police witnesses, she concluded that Nathan John Dennett’s death was drug-related, namely MDMA toxicity.
In her conclusion, she said: “It’s clear that Nathan John Dennett had taken MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and taken it to excess. The amounts found in the blood and urine at post mortem were sufficient amounts to cause death.”