V Festival reveller died after taking drugs cocktail
A festival-goer died at last year's V Festival after taking a cocktail of drugs, a coroner ruled.
Timothy Brockhurst, of Dutton Close, Stoke Heath, near Market Drayton, was found unconscious in his tent in the early hours of the third day of the August event.
Despite the efforts of paramedics to resuscitate the 22-year-old, he died at the Weston Park site, near Shifnal.
An inquest yesterday was told Mr Brockhurst started taking drugs and alcohol on the day he arrived at the festival on August 17.
He set up his tent in the red campsite, sharing with friends Marcus Supersad and Brett Neville.
Detective Constable Ian McDonack, of Cannock CID, said Mr Brockhurst was seen by his friends taking what he thought was the drug MCAT – Mephedrone – and was drinking vodka and lager.
South Staffordshire coroner Mr Andrew Haigh was told Mr Brockhurst was 'loud and hyperactive' and was also seen to take a pill he had been given by somebody whose tent he had helped to find.
He did not sleep that night and the following day offered friends what he believed to be MDMA, telling them it was 'pure ecstasy'. They refused, but he took some.
After a sleep, he took a 'bomb' of MDMA – which is when the drug is wrapped up in cigarette paper and consumed – but then was reported to be 'in a state' and went to bed.
His friends kept on checking on him, but shortly after 2am they found him unconscious and foaming at the mouth.
Mr Brockhurst, a tree surgeon, was pronounced dead a short time later by the site doctor. A toxicology report found Mr Brockhurst had, in fact, taken a fatal dose of PMA – a drug similar to ecstasy – along with 4-MEC – a variant of the drug MCAT. He also had traces of cannabis and alcohol in his system.
Mr Haigh passed his condolences to Mr Brockhurst's parents, Mary and John, who were at the hearing and said the death had been a 'tragedy'.
"He was a young man who worked hard and partied hard. I am sorry for your loss and it looks like on this occasion he just took too much," said Mr Haigh.
He recorded a verdict of a drug overdose by non-dependent use.
Speaking after the case, Mr McDonack warned of the dangers of taking drugs.
He said: "You don't know what you are taking when you buy these drugs. He thought he was taking pure ecstasy but he had taken another drug, the PMA and he suffered as a consequence.
"That drug has a different effect on people and there have in the past been fatalities."
