Mephedrone 'likely to have contributed to woman's death'

The inquest in Scarborough heard that Lois Waters was taking prescribed anti-depressants when she took the drug and the combination may have affected an undetected underlying heart condition.

The young woman, from Norton, near Malton, was found dead at a friend's house on March 22 after taking mephedrone, also known as M-Cat or Miaow Miaow, in the early hours of March 20. Mephedrone has since been reclassified as a class B drug.

On Thursday, Dr Simon Elliott, a consultant forensic toxicologist, told the inquest that little was known about mephedrone, which was "relatively new" in the UK, but it could not be ruled out as contributing to Miss Waters' death.

Dr Elliott said the drug, a stimulant like ecstasy, worked in a similar way to anti-depressants that Miss Waters was taking and could have reacted with that medication to affect the young woman's heart. The inquest heard that a post-mortem examination recorded Miss Waters' cause of death as "early myocardial ischemia and patchy bronchopneumonia".

Dr Elliott told the inquest: "Mephedrone could have an impact on the heart. She has obviously got some underlying heart condition. There's a strong chance that it would have an effect."

He continued: "I would say, in my opinion, on the balance of probability, I don't think you can rule out that it has contributed to the death because there is a strong chance of it affecting the heart due to its similarities with other amphetamines."

Sarah Ford, Miss Waters' friend of 14 years, broke down in tears as she told the inquest about the days leading up to the woman's death. Miss Ford described how she took mephedrone with Miss Waters in the early hours of March 20 and said the pair had taken the drug "many times" before.

She told the inquest her friend came to her house on March 21 and went to bed complaining of feeling unwell but she put it down to her "being up all weekend". Miss Waters was found dead at Miss Ford's house the following morning.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, coroner Michael Oakley said: "Those drugs she was being treated with may have interacted with the mephedrone." Mr Oakley said it should be added that Miss Waters' cause of death of early myocardial ischemia and patchy bronchopneumonia was contributed to by mephedrone and anti-depressant medication.