A BROTHER and sister both died of methadone-related illnesses within three weeks of each other, an inquest heard yesterday.
Lisa Davis (22) of Rosemount Road, North Circular Road, Dublin, took a lethal cocktail of non-prescription drugs, including methadone and cocaine.
She was discovered by gardaí "in bed, with the duvet pulled over her as if asleep" on October 14th, 2005, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard.
Six empty methadone bottles, a device for smoking illegal substances and a quantity of cannabis resin were also found in the apartment.
Just three weeks after Ms Davis's death, her 16-year-old brother, Craig, died from a combination of diabetic coma and methadone intoxication.
The teenager was on temporary release from a detention centre for young offenders at the time of his death.
An inquest into Ms Davis's death heard she had taken heroin and methadone with an individual named Denis Scanlon of Premier Square, Finglas, a short time before her death and that the individual had been arrested on two occasions in relation to Ms Davis's death.
However, investigating officer Sgt Dan Murphy of the Bridewell Garda station told the court that no charges had been brought against Mr Scanlon.
He said there was no evidence of third-party involvement in Ms Davis's death.
In a Garda interview statement read out in court by Sgt Murphy, Mr Scanlon said he had been approached in the street by Ms Davis for heroin and the two of them had gone back to her flat.
The following day Mr Scanlon returned to Ms Davis's flat bringing eight "half-empty" methadone bottles, which the two took, as well as smoking "gear and coke".
At some point Mr Scanlon noticed Ms Davis had difficulty breathing, but he left the flat shortly afterwards.
He contacted gardaí at Store Street on October 15th, the day after her discovery, to have the flat raided for drugs, when he became concerned about her.
When gardaí entered Ms Davis's flat on the evening of October 14th, 2005, they discovered Ms Davis in bed as if asleep, in her pyjamas, with the duvet pulled over her.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A toxicology screening confirmed that Ms Davis had a lethal cocktail of methadone, cocaine, a sedative type drug and morphine in her system.
She was last seen by her brother, Gary Davis, on October 11th.
Her father, Thomas Davis, told the court that Lisa had dabbled with drugs over the last number of years prior to her death and that she had used heroin at some point in the past, but as far as the family was concerned in recent times the only drug she was using was cannabis.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.