A CORONER expressed sadness at the number of deaths resulting from accidental drug overdoses after hearing yesterday how a 22 year old addict was found dead in the toilets in O'Connell Street, Dublin, with four syringes in his possession.
The Dublin City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, said that the combination of illicit and prescribed drugs was leading to many tragic deaths.
A cleaning attendant who found the man told the inquest that the public toilets in Upper O'Connell Street were frequently used by drug abusers.
Dr Farrell recorded a verdict of death by misadventure in the case of Mr Anthony Mills, of Balbutcher Drive, Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin. He told the man's family there was no evidence that he intended to take his own life, but his addiction meant he was always at risk from an overdose.
Mr Christopher Meredith, a cleaning attendant with Dublin Corporation, told the inquest that he saw a jacket lying on the floor of one of the lavatory cubicles at 11.40 a.m. on Saturday, October 19th, 1996. He asked the man in the cubicle if he was all right and he replied that he was.
When he returned 10 minutes later he saw needles on the ground and the man in the cubicle had collapsed.
Sgt Rita Kelly, of Store Street Garda station, said a number of drug related items were found beside Mr Mills, who had a needle stuck in his arm. Forensic tests showed that one of the syringes contained heroin (diamorphine).
A postmortem examination conducted at Beaumont Hospital showed that Mr Mills suffered cardiorespiratory failure due to the toxic effects of opiate (heroin), cannabis and benzodiamorphine compound (a sedative).