Sunderland man died as result of 'the effects of cocaine'

A Sunderland man found collapsed in the street died after taking an overdose of cocaine, an inquest heard.

Shaun Doran, 33, was discovered lying in Rawmarsh Road, Red House, in the early hours of Tuesday, May 19, the hearing at Sunderland Coroner’s Court was told.

He was shivering and blood was coming from his nose.

Mr Doran, of Runnymede Road, Red House, was initially thought to be drunk but an ambulance was called after it became clear to the emergency crew that he was unresponsive.

A post-mortem examination found he had suffered a fractured cheek, which might have been the result of a blow to the face, but it had not caused or contributed to his death.

Toxicology tests revealed a “potentially fatal” level of cocaine, as well as the presence of methadone, alcohol and diazepam.

The hearing was told that Home Office Pathologist Dr Heather Bolton had concluded that the cause of death was “the effects of cocaine”.

Northumbria Police had concluded there were no suspicious circumstances or evidence of any third party involvement in Mr Doran’s death.

Senior Coroner Derek Winter said Mr Doran had taken the drugs and died as a result of doing so but there was no evidence to suggest that his death had been anything other than an accident. "On the balance of probabilities, the appropriate conclusion to record is one of misadventure in that Mr Doran’s death was an unintended consequence of his own actions,” Senior Coroner Winter explained to the hearing.