Northern Irish Courts - Miscellaneous

Neutral Citation No:  [2020] NICoroner 2 Judgment: approved by the Court for handing down (subject to editorial corrections)*

Ref: 3521-18        Delivered: 13/01/2020

 

IN THE CORONERS COURT FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

____________

IN THE MATTER OF AN INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF

Edmund Patrick Martin Kennedy

____________

Before: Coroner Mr Patrick McGurgan

____________

 

[1] The deceased, Edmund Patrick Martin Kennedy, born on 2nd March 1982, of 33 Clon Elagh, Londonderry, died on 10th November 2018.

 

[2] The deceased had a history of drug misuse and previous overdose attempts. On Thursday 8th November 2018 the deceased visited with his partner of 3 weeks, Ms Sinead Rodgers, at her address at around 11pm. According to Ms Rodgers the deceased had drink taken but was not drunk. The deceased brought alcohol and cocaine with him to her property which he proceeded to take. On Friday 9th November at approximately 9am the deceased was still awake and taking cocaine. He phoned in sick to his work place and then went to obtain food and his laptop returning to Ms Rodgers property at around 10.30am. The deceased and Ms Rodgers then retired to bed and watched a movie and YouTube on his laptop. The deceased continued to consume alcohol as all the cocaine had been consumed by 1pm. At approximately 5.30pm the deceased and Ms Rodgers got up and at that time the deceased informed Ms Rodgers that he had also consumed Pregabalin earlier in the day. Ms Rodgers then left the deceased in her property at around 6pm.

 

[3] Ms Rodgers returned to her property in or around 11pm on 9th November 2018. She had forgotten her keys and on looking through the window in the front door she observed the deceased in the property sitting upright on the sofa. She proceeded to bang on the window and the letterbox to no avail. Ms Rodgers thought that the deceased was in a deep sleep at this time. She went to a neighbour’s property, Mr Shaun Moore, returning to her own property every half hour or so in order to try and rouse the deceased. She could see the deceased’s chest and mouth moving through the window but could not waken him.

[4] Mr Moore accompanied Ms Rodgers a number of times to her property but he too was unable to rouse the deceased. In his evidence to the Inquest he stated that at all times he thought that the deceased was in a deep sleep.
 

[5] Between 2am and 3am on 10th November 2018 Ms Rodgers returned again to her property and this time she noticed that the deceased appeared to be a “weird“ colour and that his chest was not moving. Ms Rodgers ran back into Mr Moore’s property and Mr Moore took a hammer and smashed the kitchen window at the rear of Ms Rodger’s property in order to gain access. Mr Moore entered the property and let Ms Rodgers in through the front door. On checking the deceased he was warm to the touch but he could not detect a pulse or see any signs of breathing.

 

[6] Emergency services were contacted by Ms Rodgers and the deceased was moved onto the floor and CPR commenced for a very short period. On arrival of ambulance personnel a defibrillator was used and it confirmed that he was deceased.

 

[7] Life was subsequently pronounced extinct at 4 Glenabbey Street, Londonderry at 11.30am on 10th November 2018 by a registered medical practitioner.

[8] A toxicological analysis of a sample of the deceased’s blood revealed the presence of a number of drugs namely, Fentanyl, Cocaine, Pregabalin and Diazepam. He had been prescribed Pregabalin.

 

[9] A post-mortem was performed and it records and I find that death was due to:
I(a) Poisoning By Fentanyl, Cocaine, Pregabalin and Diazepam.