MUM FOUND SON DEAD IN HIS BED

Inquest told teen had ‘potentially lethal’ level of morphine in his blood

A devastated mum from Sunderland was unable to wake her son from his bed after he had taken a cocktail of drink and drugs.

Jack Bradbury, 17, had a “potentially-lethal level” of morphine in his blood and tests also found ecstasy, cannabis, diazepam and alcohol in his system.

An inquest into his death heard the night before he had been going between his home in Pennywell Road and out with friends on March 6 this year.

A hearing at Sunderland Coroner’s Court heard that over the course of the evening, he is thought to have drank alcohol, while his mother had noted that he smelled of cannabis.

He returned to his home at about 10pm that night.

At about 4am, his mother overheard him snoring, but when she went to wake him up later that morning, he was “cold and unresponsive”.

Paramedics were called to the house, but Jack was pronounced dead just after 9am on March 7.

Home Office pathologist Jennifer Bolton carried out a post-mortem examination following his death, from which samples taken for toxicology analysis revealed that Jack had 272 microgrammes of liquid morphine, in 100 millilitres of his blood which was described as a “potentially-lethal level”.

Assistant coroner Karin Welch added that other substances discovered included ecstasy, cannabis, diazepam and alcohol.

Ms Welch also said there was a police investigation into Jack’s death over the supply of the morphine.

A 20-year-old Sunderland man who pleaded guilty to the theft and supply of liquid morphine at the city’s magistrates court earlier this month, was made the subject of a community order, fined £85 and also ordered to pay costs of £85.

Summing up the case, Ms Welch said: “Having considered all of the evidence, my conclusion is that Jack’s death was sadly drug-related.”

“My conclusion is Jack’s death was sadly drug-related” KARIN WELCH