A Dublin man who died of an overdose of ecstasy in January had the highest recorded level of the drug in his system, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard yesterday.
Arthur Saunders (20), of Foxboro Grove, Lucan, was found dead in a friend's apartment early on January 12th. A post-mortem examination carried out by the deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, showed a level of 4.7 micrograms of MDMA per millilitre of blood. She said the highest recorded level before that was 2.8 micrograms per millilitre.
The toxicology screening also was positive for cocaine, cannabis and benzodiazophine but the cause of death was cardio-respiratory failure due to ecstasy. She could not say how many tablets had been taken but it must have been several. She told Mr Saunders's family that because of the high level of the drug found and because there was no antidote to ecstasy, it was unlikely he would have survived even with medical attention.
The Dublin City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, said previous inquests had shown 11 1/2 ecstasy tablets to be fatal. Ms Paula Donoghue told the inquest she attended the 50th birthday party of Mr Saunders's mother with him on January 10th. Afterwards they went into town. When she decided to go home he went to meet friends in the Harp bar. Mr Gerard Creighton, in a deposition read to the inquest, stated he met Mr Saunders in the Harp bar. Later they went to Shaft night club. He took some "E" tablets and Mr Saunders also took some. Later a group of people including Mr Saunders returned to Mr Creighton's apartment in Oliver Bond flats, where they smoked some cannabis. Mr Saunders rang a woman who arrived about 7 a.m. Mr Creighton later saw Mr Saunders take two "E" tablets. They did not go to bed and early on Sunday went to a pub in Capel Street. They played pool and had four or five pints. "Arthur was flying from the drugs, from the `E's," Mr Creighton said.
When they returned to his flat they all went to sleep. He woke about 11 p.m. and called the others. He was going out but they decided to stay in. Mr Saunders was awake when he left at 11.30 p.m. on January 11th, he said.
Sgt Thomas Deegan said Mr Saunders was found collapsed about four hours later by another person in the apartment. He was dead on arrival at St James's Hospital.
When members of the Saunders family indicated to the coroner that they wished to hear Mr Creighton give evidence in person, Dr Farrell agreed to adjourn the inquest to December 11th. Sgt Deegan said he thought it might be difficult to contact Mr Creighton.