Courts

Woman fell to her death after eating cannabis jelly, inquest hears

Nurse and mother of two from Boston in the United States visiting mother’s native Limerick city to attend festival

At some stage Katie Batchelder consumed at least half a cannabis jelly, which she used as a sleeping aid twice a week, the inquest heard. Photograph: Getty Images

David Raleigh
Thu May 16 2024 - 17:56

The coroner for Limerick, who heard that a woman fell to her death from a hotel balcony after she ingested a cannabis jelly, plans to write to the Health Service Executive to issue a public warning about the dangers of the cannabis sweets.

Nurse and mother of two, Katherine “Katie” Batchelder, from Boston in the United States, was visiting her mother’s native Limerick city, to enjoy the city’s Riverfest May bank holiday celebrations 2023.

She was due to meet up with friends and attend a concert at King John’s Castle performed by the band, Hermitage Green, of which some of her cousins are band members, her inquest at Limerick Coroners’ Court heard on Wednesday.

Along with her mother, Fidelma Batchelder, and her sister, Stephanie Smith, Katie was staying in the Strand Hotel in Limerick city.

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After enjoying a night out at a local restaurant, the three women returned to the hotel to pack their suitcases and get some rest ahead of flying home the following day.

At some stage Katie Batchelder consumed at least half a cannabis jelly, which she used as a sleeping aid twice a week, it was heard.

Her family said she had been in good form earlier on the night, however it was heard that after she returned to her hotel room, she suffered a “psychotic episode”.

Another guest who was staying at the hotel, Joanna Jakma, told the inquest she was awoken shortly after 3am on May 2nd, to loud noises coming from Katie Batchelder’s room.

When she went to investigate, believing someone was in danger in the room, Ms Jakma found Ms Batchelder “distressed” and completely undressed.

The witness said Ms Batchelder attacked her “aggressively” and “ran” after Ms Jakma along the corridor of the hotel.

The only two staff members on duty on the night said they tried to assist Ms Batchelder and bring her from her room on the third floor down to the lobby on the ground floor via an escalator.

The inquest heard Ms Batchelder fell to her death from a third-floor glass panel balcony to the first floor after she moved away from staff.

Retired consultant pathologist Gabor Laskai said toxicology tests found no alcohol in Ms Batchelder’s system, but there was evidence of cannabis as well as an anti-depressant drug Citalopram which was above the prescribed therapeutic level but which was not at toxic levels.

Dr Laskai said the two substances may have interacted with “unexpected” consequences.

“Biology and drugs behave in a strange way,” said Dr Laskai.

Dr Laskai said while he had not personally come across another postmortem case which involved cannabis jellies, he said he was aware that the Irish health authorities had previously raised concerns about “synthetic cannabis” being put into cannabis jellies.

He agreed with Doireann O’Mahony, counsel for the Batchelder family, that cannabis jellies could potentially cause delusions and hallucinations.

In her deposition, Fidelma Batchelder said she did not believe her daughter had intended to die on the night: “I believe she had a psychotic episode from what I’ve been told and I don’t think she wanted to die.”

Katie Batchelder’s husband, Aarav Sundaresh, said his late wife was a “sound and stable individual” and that, in his opinion, “her death could have been prevented ... it did not need to be this way.”

He said he spoke by mobile telephone to his wife in her final moments before the phone went silent and a staff member came on the phone to tell him his wife had “jumped”.

Coroner John McNamara said: “It’s clear this was a psychotic episode induced by the consumption of an edible cannabis gummy or jelly and prescribed medication found in [Katie’s] system.

“On the balance of probabilities she [Katie] fell, as opposed to having jumped, and it’s clear that she didn’t intend this outcome.”

Recording a “narrative verdict” in line with the evidence heard, the coroner said he had “a duty to bring forward to the public the risks involved” with cannabis jellies.

He highlighted a 2022 report published by Forensic Science Ireland which found that cannabis “edibles” had caused adverse reactions and hospitalisations.

Mr McNamara said he would write to the HSE in respect of issuing a public warning about the associated risks of the so-called cannabis jellies.

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