The dangers of taking ecstasy were highlighted by a coroner yesterday after she heard that a 36-year-old man had taken over 15 ecstasy tablets resulting in over twice the upper fatal limit of ecstasy in his system.
Cork City Coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, extended her sympathies to the family of James O'Donovan of Springfield Park, Cobh, before pointing out that the evidence heard at an inquest into his death showed the clear danger of taking ecstasy tablets.
"It highlights again the danger of ecstasy ingestion. Ingesting in excess of 15 ecstasy tablets is obviously a very dangerous thing to do - we have had experience in this court of people dying after taking just one tablet," said Dr Cullinane.
The inquest heard that pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, found ecstasy or MDMA levels in his blood of 5.3 microgrammes per millilitre of blood and that the fatal range was found to be between 0.6 microgrammes and 2.8 microgrammes.
The inquest also heard that Dr Bolster's autopsy found that Mr O'Donovan's myocardium - the muscles around his heart - as well as his liver and his kidneys showed signs of rapid decomposition and this was due to the high temperature of his body at the time of his death.
Mr O'Donovan had gone to a house party at Carrignafoy in Cobh, arriving there with a group of others at around 1am on the morning of 20th November, 2004, and he was seen by a number of others taking a large quantity of ecstasy tablets before becoming ill at around 5.30am.
Alan Moran told the inquest that he reckoned that Mr O'Donovan had taken 10-15 ecstasy tablets between arriving at the house at 1am and 5.30am when he began to become ill.
He had seen him take cocaine before but had never seen him take tablets, he said. "I said to James that we would go for a walk but when he stood up, he started shaking and totally freaking out."
Mr Moran said that he tried to tell the others that Mr O'Donovan was overdosing but they were "totally out of it" and didn't pay any attention so, after two unsuccessful attempts to ring friends and relatives of Mr O'Donovan, he rang 999 and a doctor and ambulance came.
The ambulance driver asked what Mr O'Donovan had taken so Mr Moran gave him an ecstasy tablet that he found on the floor and Mr O'Donovan was removed to Cork University Hospital but was pronounced dead there an hour later, the inquest heard.
Another man at the party, AJ Stoat, told gardaí that he didn't know Mr O'Donovan but, every time he looked over, he seemed to be taking a tablet. "He seemed to be taking them one after another - every time I looked over, he seemed to taking one," said Mr Stoat.
Sgt John Quinn told the inquest that gardai were notified by the emergency services and were quickly on the scene and searched the flat but found no evidence of drugs.
"We searched the house under warrant but the house was well cleaned before we arrived," said Sgt Quinn.
Dr Cullinane returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
