Student died after dosing on ‘big bottles’ of laughing gas

A STUDENT was using two to three “big bottles” of laughing gas each day before she died after being taken to hospital unable to walk, a coroner heard.

Senior coroner Heidi Connor told Berkshire coroner’s court that part of Ellen Mercer’s cause of death related to the use of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas.

A post mortem examination found Ms Mercer’s death was caused by bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis and “long-term complications of nitrous oxide use”.

Ms Mercer, 24, from Gerrards Cross, Bucks, died in the emergency department of Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, on Feb 10 2023 after she arrived there complaining that she was unable to walk.

The inquest heard evidence from Michaela Kirtley, an emergency medical technician, who attended Ms Mercer’s home on Feb 8, two days before her death.

When Ms Kirtley arrived, she said, she was shown to the bedroom by Ms Mercer’s boyfriend.

She told the inquiry there were no sheets on the bed and just a “severely stained” duvet.

She said the scene made it clear to her that she was dealing with a “vulnerable person” and that the 24-yearold looked six months pregnant.

Ms Mercer told her that she had burnt her legs after spilling a gas canister on them and that she had been unable to walk or go to the lavatory for two weeks, Ms Kirtley added.

Ms Mercer’s boyfriend then showed her a box of gas canisters, which she identified as nitrous oxide. “I had never seen such big bottles,” she said.

She told the inquest that the canisters were 600g and that Ms Mercer’s boyfriend said she took “two to three bottles” per day, but had slowed down in the last couple of weeks.

At the time of the student’s death, possession of laughing gas with the intent of getting high was not illegal.

It was banned by the Government, and made a Class C drug, in November 2023.