A YOUNG man died of a morphine overdose when he received tablets taken earlier from a medicine bag by a doctor's son, an inquest in Westport, Co Mayo, has been told.
Later, the father of the young man who died made a passionate plea for measures to ensure that no other family would endure a loss like theirs.
"We would like to know how the availability of such lethal drugs came about," Mr John Clark said in a statement after the inquest into the death of his son, Justin (18), on August 12th last.
The inquest was told that a friend of Justin's, Niall Carney, had taken morphine tablets from the medicine bag of his father, Dr Paul Carney, who was away on holiday.
The bag was in the back of his father's car, which was unlocked in the yard at the back of the house. He had been asked by his father to secure the bag.
Instead, he took morphine from the bag and offered 100 mg and 60 mg tablets to his friends, Ian Burke and Justin Conlon. Justin Clark was not present.
The three had drunk a bottle of gin and almost 15 cans of lager throughout the evening. In addition, they took quantities of the tablets, ranging from 520 mg to 360 mg, and Inn and Justin Conlon also took some away. Justin Conlon got rid of his, but Ian had three tablets in his pocket when he went down the town early on the morning of August 12th. He got sick there and continued getting sick throughout the next day, as did Niall Carney and Justin Conlon.
Ian Burke met Justin Clark and James Lohan on their way to the holiday home of Justin Clark's uncle to listen to music.
There, Ian offered the morphine tablets, after saying he had taken some himself. James avoided taking any, but Justin Clark swallowed all three. The two young men left Justin alone in the house at about 5.30 a.m.
"When Justin did not return home the following day we were not so worried, as he often stayed overnight in his friends' houses, said Mr Clark. However, by that night they were getting worried, and this deepened into serious concern by the next morning.
Eventually a friend came to the house to say that Justin was in his uncle's house. "Justin died in his sleep alone, listening to his favourite music," said Mr Clark. "When we found him I cradled his little head in my arms, hoping against hope he might still be alive, but knowing in my heart he was dead."