A verdict of death from misadventure was recorded yesterday after Dublin City Coroner Dr Brian Farrell heard that a man spent €30,000 on crack cocaine in the weeks before his death, after receiving an inheritance from his mother’s estate.
Derek Olin (40) was found dead at his basement flat on North Great Charles Street in north inner city Dublin on September 29th last year.
The father of five had taken a combination of cocaine, methadone and sedatives in the hours before his death.
His brother Anthony Olin said he had stabilised after an earlier drug problem on the methadone programme.
He had been surviving on €200 a week and some assistance from the family. “He never had the money for cocaine,” he said.
However, in the weeks before his death, the deceased received a “significant inheritance” from his mother’s estate and within days had started taking crack cocaine.
Mr Olin told the court that his brother spent €30,000 in six weeks, withdrawing €1,500 every two days.