Let drug deaths be a warning, says Coroner

Press, 29 April 1978, Page 6

Let drug deaths be a warning, says Coroner

The fate of two young j men who died after injecting themselves with a narcotic; would, he hoped, act as an effective warning to others! playing with drugs, said the District Coroner (Mr E. B.| E Tavlor during a sitting! of the Coroner’s Court] yesterday. There had been only two! other cases, where death had) been directly attributable toi hard drugs, previously be-! fore the Court, and that had l been three years ago. The Coroner found that; Michael Colin Kennelly.) aged 25, had died of b r o n c h o-pneumonia and l actue intravenous narcotic-I ism — between January 5 and 10, and that Terry Brian] Annandale, aged 22, had died} of actue intravenous narco- 1 ticism on or about January; IS. Kennelly’s body had been! found on his bed at 43 Oram! Avenue on January 11, said l Constable R J. Brownlee On a mantelpiece in the, room had been a spoon en-i crusted with white powder.) an empty syringe, and aj needle. Cannabis plant mat-| cial and green oil in metal I foil had also been found Kennelly had been a regis-. tered drug addict w’ho had] received methadone treat-i ment. He had last been seen] alive on January 5 but death, had obviously occurred be-f

(fore January 10, witness said. Dr L. L. Treadgold. a ■ pathologist, attributed the I cause of death to confluent j aspiration broncho-pneu- ; monia and acute intravenous i narcoticism. I Constable L. R. Comer said that the police had been ! informed of Mr Annandale’s ; death on January 19. He had been a registered drug ad-1 (diet, and had been treated with methadone. He nad, been on heroin in the past. Just before Christmas, he jhad begun selling household assets to pay for his habit. , wimess said. The body had I had numerous injection • I marks on both arms, and ‘ltwo empty bottles, which had contained methadane had /been found. .! Mr Annandale had last (been seen alive at 3 p.m. on January 18. He had been .(found dead in bed by his [Sister, at 22 Rutherford I Street. > BODY IN LIFEJACKET -j Eric Duncan Lamb died on .lor about January 13 at Pe-i ligasus Bay from asphyxia, due to drowning, the CoroI ner found. Constable E. E. Donnelly; had given evidence that Mrs] I I Susan Lamb had called at) ■ ithe Sumner Police Station at; 1)9.08 p.m. on January 13 toi J report that her husband,) ■lEric Duncan Lamb, aged 31,i

and James Mcßrearty, aged 28, were overdue from a fishing trip. They had been due back between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. as usual after leaving Scarbrough at 6 a.m. in a 5.8 m runabout.

The lighthouse had been informed at 10.12 p.m. and the keeper had reported no sighting adding that no boat should be out at sea as there were 38 knot northwesterly winds, Constable Donnelly said. The esignal tower had been asked to advise all fishing vessels, and Air Traffic Control had been asked to alert aircraft in the area. The next morning a full scale search had been mounted.

The missing boat had carhied two lifejackets, smoke flares, and safety equipment because it was used for racing. lan Andrew Williamson put to sea on January 15 with lan Lamb and Trevor Leslie Wright. They discovered Lamb's body lying face-up in a life-jacket about )1J to 2 miles north of the Waimakariri rivermouth and (about 11 miles offshore. Debris and equipment (from the missing boat were (found between Waikuku and Kairaki beaches but other : large-scale searches failed to (find any sign of his comianion.

Dr P. R. Kelleher, a pathologist, said that death had been consistent with that of asphyxia from drowning. DEATH AFTER FALL Sunn y s i d e Hospital authorities could not be; blamed in any way for the death of John Arthur Paxton Evans, who had died as a result of a fall from a cliff at Quail Island on December 6. said the Coroner. He said that he had visited the island and had found it a completely appropriate place for hospital staff to take a party of 45. The facilities were good and there had been adequate supervision. He found that Mr Evans had died from multiple injuries. Mr Evans had been among a party of 45 taken to Quail Island by launch for a special Christmas picnic, said Anne Shirlev Carroll, an occupational therapist. During a walk Mr Evans had had trouble keeping his footing, and so she had told him to sit in the shade for a few minutes and they would; collect him on the way back.) When she returned, he had, not been there. Senior-Sergeant M. W., Moore said in a statement, he was satisfied that Mr Evans, aged 67. had walked] off from the main party and 1

had perhaps-become lost. He apparently had accidentally fallen, while perhaps a little tired, having tripped on uneven ground on the edge of- a cliff. He was satisfied that death was accidental, he said.

The medical superintendent at Sunnvside Hospital (Dr T. E. Hall) said that Mr Evans had been a patient since 1948. Part of the hospital’s policy was to encourage patients to" take part in a whole range of activities such as that trip. DEATH BY DROWNING Arthur James Hayes, aged 132, died as a result of drowning in the Avon River on or about January 12 or 13, the Coroner found.

Constable E. E. Donnelly said that Mr Hayes’s body had been found in the river downstream from the Stanmore Road bridge on January 21. He had last been seen alive on January 12. Mr Hayes had been a heavy drinker and had taken days off work because of “black” depression and because he could not face (work, witness said. 1 Dr Treadgold said that death had been caused by drowning.

BEDROOM FIRE A lighted cigarette, which had fallen on to bedclothes, had caused the fire which

killed Tangi David Harrison, aged 26, who died at 135 Huxley Street on January 29 or 30. the Court was told. A fire-safety officer (Mr I. S. Setnpie) said that he had; attended the fire where the remains of a man were discovered in a two-storey block of flats. He said that he believed that the fire, which was self-extinguishing, had been caused by a lighted cigarette dropped by Mr Harrison, who had apparently gone to sleep. The cigarette had ignited bedclothes and a mattress. Inquiries had shown that Mr Harrison was a heavy smoker, and many empty beer bottles had been found in the lounge, said Constable K. D. Newman. Mr Harrison had last been seen alive at 12.30 p.m. on January 29, in a normal state of health. Dr Kelleher said the cause of death had been asphyxia from carbon monoxide poisoning. DROWNING LN DRAIN The Coronoer found that an elderly man who failed to return from an afternoon walk had died as a result ot asphyxia from drowning. Constable G. Campbell said that the body of Allan Robert Brown, aged 70, had 'been found lying face-down

in a stormwater drain in Mandeville Street at 5.05 p.m. on January 12. The dead man had lived at 50 Picton Avenue.

The police had been told by his son that Mr Brownhad gone for walks and if it was hot he would sit in the shade. He had had difficulty getting to his feet and had complained of severe back pains.

“It would appear that Mr Brown sat in the shade, went to get up, and toppled in the stream,” said Constable Campbell. Dr Kelleher said that death was consistent with asphyxia from drowning. COLLISION WITH CAR

A young motor-cyclist, who collided with a car while overtaking a council truck, had died from multiple injuries, said the Coroner. ' He was investigating the (death of Paul Francis Baker, aged 16. who died at St John Street on December 15. Lyndsay Alan Cleeve said that he had been travelling by car on St John Street at 4 p.m. on December 15 when he had seen a council truck approaching, near the centre line.

A motor-cyclist had appeared from behind as if to overtake. He had appeared to try to lie his motor-cycle

down but had collided and had obviously been badly injured, witness said.

Constable R. H. Moore said that Mr Baker had‘been on the wrong side of the road. Mr Cleeve had had no chance to avoid a collision.

Multiple injuries had caused the ■ motor-cyclist’s death, Dr Treadgold said. MOTOR ACCIDENT

John Alexander Wilson, aged 20, died after the car he was travelling in rolled over at Bankside, the Coroner found. Constable E. E. Donnelly, said that Mr Wilson had been the driver of a car in a serious motor accident on State highway I at Bankside. The car, which had gone out of control, had rolled over several times, and the driver had been pronounced dead on arrival at the Christchurch Hospital.

Mr Wilson had taken over the driving of the car at Rolleston when the owner, Brian Gordon Lock, became tired.

Dr L. L. Treadgold tbld 'he Court that head injuries had been the cause of deatf and that the tests showed 54mg of alcohol per 100 m of blood.

The Coroner found that Mr Wilson had died of head injuries.