Alcohol and heroin cocktail killed man

A 37-year-old Ballymena man with a history of alcohol and heroin abuse died from the combined effects of taking both those substances, an inquest has heard.

Last Tuesday’s proceedings in Ballymena into the death of Anthony McGovern, a labourer from Millfield in the town, heard that he died on September 1, 2010, from heroin and alcohol toxicity.

Findings of a State Pathologist’s Post Mortem revealed that Mr McGovern’s blood contained 420mcg alcohol/100ml blood - equivalent to five times the legal driving limit, and, that it also contained levels of morphine consistent with having taken heroin shortly before his death.

The inquest heard that the level of alcohol in his body alone would have been “sufficient” to have killed him.

Referring to a statement from Mr McGovern’s GP, who attended the scene of his death, a property in Dunclug Gardens, Coroner Mr John L Leckey said Mr McGovern was known to have been a chronic drug taker since 1999 and had been alcohol dependent from 2005.

A statement from a police constable who was called to the property on September 1, last year, revealed that when she arrived she witnessed ambulance personnel trying to resuscitate Mr McGovern who was on his back on the living room floor.

The tenant of the property, a friend of Mr McGovern, had also been in attendance and had stated that Mr McGovern had earlier called at his house and said he was going to buy heroin.

The man had also stated that while he accompanied Mr McGovern, he did not see who the drug had been purchased from as the transaction had been made “round a corner”.

The inquest heard that both men, on their return, had injected the heroin and that when the deceased’s friend returned to the living room after going to wash the needles, he found Mr McGovern sitting in a chair with his head bowed. He called for an ambulance and attempted to resuscitate him.

Referring to the statement by the witness, Mr Leckey said the man had made it clear that the decision to get heroin had been Mr McGovern’s and that it had been Mr McGovern who had made up ‘the brew’.

Mr Leckey observed that the deceased had been subject to ongoing offers of help from a Consultant pyschiatrist and his team.

“But unfortunately Anthony didn’t take them up,” said Mr Leckey.

He pointed out that Mr McGovern had been an academically gifted young man having attained seven GCSEs, three A levels and had attended University in England, dropping out after his first year.

“Thereafter was a very sad downward spiral...He had real potential to make something of his life but for whatever reason decided on a different course and a much more tragic course that led to this downward spiral that led to his death,” he said.

Mr Leckey said that, while he covered inquests elsewhere: “It always seems to be in Ballymena where tragedies like this happen”.

Extending sympathy to the deceased’s mother, who was in attendance at the inquest, Mr Leckey said: “If the pathologist was here he would find it impossible to say which drug had the greater effect on your son. It was the combination of heroin and alcohol that very sadly caused your son’s death.

“I hope that when an inquest is held that heroin abusers might read about it or learn about it and act as an encouragement for those that are addicted to heroin to seek help and endeavour to be weaned off the addiction.

“Perhaps if he (Mr McGovern) had taken up the offers of help, the outcome would be different but that is something we will never know,” said Mr Leckey.