Taking even a small amount of cocaine is like playing "Russian roulette," the Assistant State Pathologist told an inquest yesterday. Dr Margaret Bolster told an inquest into the death of Anthony Alcock that he died because of "acute cardiac failure due to cocaine use".
"The cause of death is not dose-related - it [ taking cocaine] is like Russian roulette, a very, very small amount of the drug can kill you," she said.
Mr Alcock was found dead in a house at Harbour Hill in Cobh, Co Cork on the morning of April 10th, 2005 after he had left his two-year-old son Kane with his family the night before to go to a party.
The inquest heard that the people with him at the house party became concerned for his welfare shortly before 6am and that about 30 minutes later he started to suffer convulsions. Gardaí were called and Garda John Ahern found him lying on the sofa in the living room. A local GP was called and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dr Bolster told coroner for south Cork Frank O'Connell that it was possible for a person to take a specific dose of cocaine one day and be fine and then die from exactly the same amount of cocaine another day.
Mr Alcock's father, Terence, asked if his son would have known he was dying. "It is unlikely there would have been pain," she said.
Supt Pat Sheahan applied to have the inquest adjourned as the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that charges be brought in relation to Mr Alcock's death. Mr O'Connell agreed and adjourned the matter until October 9th for mention.