Heart defect blamed for death of girl after party cannabis

An inquest heard yesterday how medical experts remain baffled as to the true cause of A-level student Camilla Irvine’s death but the most likely cause was an undiagnosed heart problem, prompting a doctor to warn Camilla’s brother, George, to be tested for any possible hereditary cardiac defects.

The inquest was told Camilla had been smoking cannabis at the party on September 24 last year in Scorton, near Richmond, before falling asleep at a friend’s house. But when friends attempted to wake her the next day, they found she was unconscious and called for an ambulance.

The 16-year-old was pronounced dead at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton later that day.

The inquest at Northallerton Magistrates Court heard that a post-mortem examination on Camilla, who dreamed of working in the fashion industry, had found an “unidentified compound” in her urine.

Despite rigorous tests, experts were unable to establish what the substance was – although they thought it “highly unlikely” it was a party drug, such as Mephedrone.

Consultant forensic toxicologist Dr Simon Elliott revealed that despite testing for more than 6,000 different substances, medical experts were unable to trace the compound.

“Whatever it is, I’ve never seen it before,” he said.

“It’s unlikely it’s a new wave of a new type of drug because it would have been picked up in other areas of the country.

“It is truly an unidentified compound.”

Home Office pathologist Jennifer Hamilton added: “Her death is unascertained.

“This means we can never be certain exactly what caused her death.

“We don’t know what this substance is that was in her urine, but it’s far more likely it was a problem within her heart which developed when she slept.

“Unfortunately conditions such as this, where there is a problem with the electricity in her heart, usually remain undetected.”

Camilla’s parents, Wendy and David, wept yesterday as they heard evidence about their daughter’s death.

The teenager lived with her family on a farm in Newton-le-Willows in North Yorkshire, and was studying for A Levels at Richmond Grammar School.

Dr Hamilton advised Camilla’s brother, who was also present at yesterday’s inquest, to be tested for any possible heart defects.

One of Camilla’s friends, Jacob Attwood, was asked by Coroner Michael Oakley if he had seen her take any drugs, other than cannabis.

He replied: “I swear on my life she hadn’t taken anything, I could just tell. She was happy, when we left the party she helped tidy up.

“There was nothing wrong with her. She slept next to me on a downstairs sofa. I probably fell asleep at 2am.

“I left the next day and just assumed Camilla and the others were all asleep. That’s the last time I saw her.”

Recording an open verdict, Mr Oakley said that while the medical evidence did not provide conclusive proof about the cause of death, it was likely that Camilla died from an “unusual and undetected defect in her heart”.