Dad on steroids and cocaine died at work

A DAD was found dead at work after taking steroids and cocaine.

Paramedics were called to the construction site of a new housing development in Bleacher Close after 31-year-old Ben Campbell from Ramsbottom was found slumped behind the wheel on the morning of November 11 last year. Despite efforts to resuscitate him Ben, a bodybuilder who was known to take anabolic steroids, was pronounced dead at 9am.

An inquest held last Wednesday at Preston Coroner’s Court heard Ben, who was born in Bury and lived in Ramsbottom, had been purchasing the steroids from a bodybuilding shop. Anabolic steroids are Class C drugs which UK law states can only be issued by pharmacists with a prescription.

Describing the circumstances leading up to Ben’s death, Area Coroner Richard Taylor said: “Mr Campbell had arrived at work on November 11 at 7.30 in the morning and about 20 minutes later a colleague saw him slumped over the wheel of a digger truck unresponsive. He was removed from the vehicle and CPR was commenced but death was confirmed at 9am.

“He had started taking steroids purchased from a bodybuilding shop. He had seemed fine the evening before.”

Anabolic steroids are synthetic testosterone derivatives usually taken without medical advice to increase muscle mass or improve athletic performance. Steroid induced muscle gain is possible even without training and there are an estimated three million users in Europe.

In a report senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Tom Edmondson said information he was given indicated Ben had taken steroids the night before. “On the morning of his death he was driving a digger bringing soil over and he was told it wasn’t needed at that time,” Mr Taylor read from the statement. He parked up and was next seen slumped over the wheel.”

Post mortem investigations concluded the cause of Ben’s death was a cardiac arrest caused by the use of steroids and cocaine. The coroner returned a conclusion of misadventure and said: “Benjamin David Campbell died on November 11, 2022, at the Spring Wells building site in Bleacher Close, Whitworth, from a cardiac event following the ingestion of cocaine and steroids.”