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| Peaches Geldof died of heroin overdose, coroner rules | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Peaches Geldof died of an overdose of heroin, a coroner has ruled. | |
| The 25-year-old journalist had been receiving treatment for heroin addiction for the past two and half years, and had been taking the drug substitute methadone, the inquest heard, but had relapsed and begun taking the class A drug again two months before she died. | |
| Giving evidence at the inquest, Geldof's husband, Thomas Cohen, dressed solemnly in a white shirt and black waistcoat, confirmed that he had found text messages on his wife's phone in February 2014 suggesting she was using the highly addictive class A drug. | |
| Geldof had confessed and retrieved drugs hidden in the loft. Cohen confirmed he had then witnessed her flush the drugs down the toilet. He had gone back to check the loft for drugs on later occasions, but had found nothing more. | Geldof had confessed and retrieved drugs hidden in the loft. Cohen confirmed he had then witnessed her flush the drugs down the toilet. He had gone back to check the loft for drugs on later occasions, but had found nothing more. |
| The inquest, held in Gravesend, Kent, was told that there was evidence of codeine, methadone and morphine in Geldof's blood, which had come from heroin, and that the levels were within the fatal range. | The inquest, held in Gravesend, Kent, was told that there was evidence of codeine, methadone and morphine in Geldof's blood, which had come from heroin, and that the levels were within the fatal range. |
| On the bed next to where she was found dead on 7 April was "a small clear coloured cap thought to have come from a syringe" and a pair of knotted black tights, and under the bed was "a dessert spoon … with visible burn marks on the underside and a small amount of a brown residue". | |
| Large quantities of "importation quality heroin" were also found, including a bag in the couple's bedroom containing 6.91g diamorphine – worth around £500 – 34 medical syringes and 47.5g of citric acid, a substance used in the preparation of heroin. Two more pairs of knotted tights, thought to have been used as a tourniquet, were also in the bag. | Large quantities of "importation quality heroin" were also found, including a bag in the couple's bedroom containing 6.91g diamorphine – worth around £500 – 34 medical syringes and 47.5g of citric acid, a substance used in the preparation of heroin. Two more pairs of knotted tights, thought to have been used as a tourniquet, were also in the bag. |
| The coroner noted that the drugs were 61% pure, considerably higher than the usual 25% of street-grade heroin, making it more dangerous, particularly for someone who had a lower tolerance to it. | The coroner noted that the drugs were 61% pure, considerably higher than the usual 25% of street-grade heroin, making it more dangerous, particularly for someone who had a lower tolerance to it. |
| Roger Hatch, the coroner, concluded that the cause of the 25-year-old's death was opiate intoxication. | Roger Hatch, the coroner, concluded that the cause of the 25-year-old's death was opiate intoxication. |
| The singer's husband described how he had left their home on Friday morning, with the couple's two sons, Astala, two, and one-year-old Phaedra, to go to London for music rehearsals and they had stayed with his parents in south-east London. | The singer's husband described how he had left their home on Friday morning, with the couple's two sons, Astala, two, and one-year-old Phaedra, to go to London for music rehearsals and they had stayed with his parents in south-east London. |
| Cohen said he had been in constant communication with his wife over the weekend and when he last spoke to her at 5.40pm on the Sunday he had found her coherent and had no concerns for her wellbeing. | Cohen said he had been in constant communication with his wife over the weekend and when he last spoke to her at 5.40pm on the Sunday he had found her coherent and had no concerns for her wellbeing. |
| She had spent Friday evening with friends in London, going to the cinema, before returning to Kent and then watching the TV series True Detective on Saturday night alone at home. | She had spent Friday evening with friends in London, going to the cinema, before returning to Kent and then watching the TV series True Detective on Saturday night alone at home. |
| Cohen's father Keith had visited the home on Sunday evening, before her death, to drop off Astala. DCI Paul Fotheringham of Kent police, who led the investigation, told the inquest that her father-in-law had found Peaches "in good spirits. She told him that she had booked a trip for the children to a theme park and that she had been writing an article." | Cohen's father Keith had visited the home on Sunday evening, before her death, to drop off Astala. DCI Paul Fotheringham of Kent police, who led the investigation, told the inquest that her father-in-law had found Peaches "in good spirits. She told him that she had booked a trip for the children to a theme park and that she had been writing an article." |
| However, Cohen said, he was unable to contact her the next morning and had driven back to their home in Wrotham, Kent, with his mother and youngest son, arriving at about 1.30pm. | However, Cohen said, he was unable to contact her the next morning and had driven back to their home in Wrotham, Kent, with his mother and youngest son, arriving at about 1.30pm. |
| After going upstairs, Cohen found his wife slumped forward on the bed in the spare bedroom, with one leg hanging off the side of the bed and a laptop beside her, and it was "obvious she was deceased". | After going upstairs, Cohen found his wife slumped forward on the bed in the spare bedroom, with one leg hanging off the side of the bed and a laptop beside her, and it was "obvious she was deceased". |
| He said: "I found her in the spare bedroom. We both used it when the kids were sleeping." | He said: "I found her in the spare bedroom. We both used it when the kids were sleeping." |
| Cohen told the inquest how Geldof had been battling her drug addiction through treatment over the past two and a half years, but confirmed his wife had recently been finding it difficult to come off the prescription methadone. | Cohen told the inquest how Geldof had been battling her drug addiction through treatment over the past two and a half years, but confirmed his wife had recently been finding it difficult to come off the prescription methadone. |
| The model had been having weekly drugs tests which she had told her husband were negative, the inquest was told. | The model had been having weekly drugs tests which she had told her husband were negative, the inquest was told. |
| Asked by Hatch if he thought she might have been lying about the results, Cohen replied: "Yes." | Asked by Hatch if he thought she might have been lying about the results, Cohen replied: "Yes." |
| He was then asked whether Geldof had been a heroin addict, to which he also answered: "Yes." | He was then asked whether Geldof had been a heroin addict, to which he also answered: "Yes." |
| Describing the scene of Geldof's death, Fotheringham said: "The presence of the tied tights as a possible tourniquet, burnt spoon, cotton bud end and used syringe in close proximity to Peaches' body suggests that heroin has been partly prepared and consumed at some time in the room Peaches was found. | Describing the scene of Geldof's death, Fotheringham said: "The presence of the tied tights as a possible tourniquet, burnt spoon, cotton bud end and used syringe in close proximity to Peaches' body suggests that heroin has been partly prepared and consumed at some time in the room Peaches was found. |
| "The pathologist states cause of death to be opiate intoxication. When considering all of the above information, I, as the senior investigating officer, conclude that Peaches Geldof-Cohen died of a heroin overdose." | "The pathologist states cause of death to be opiate intoxication. When considering all of the above information, I, as the senior investigating officer, conclude that Peaches Geldof-Cohen died of a heroin overdose." |
| A postmortem examination carried out at Darenth Valley hospital found a puncture mark on the front of her right elbow and another at the front of her right thigh. | A postmortem examination carried out at Darenth Valley hospital found a puncture mark on the front of her right elbow and another at the front of her right thigh. |
| Old puncture marks were also found on her left thigh, the inquest was told. | Old puncture marks were also found on her left thigh, the inquest was told. |
| The coroner concluded that Geldof's death had been drug-related. Summing up, he said: "There is no indication that Peaches intended to take her own life or harm herself in any way … Someone who stops or ceases to use heroin then resumes is less able to tolerate the levels they previously had." | The coroner concluded that Geldof's death had been drug-related. Summing up, he said: "There is no indication that Peaches intended to take her own life or harm herself in any way … Someone who stops or ceases to use heroin then resumes is less able to tolerate the levels they previously had." |
| He said that the large amount of drugs paraphernalia found in her home made it clear that she was taking heroin, but that her tolerance levels had declined. | He said that the large amount of drugs paraphernalia found in her home made it clear that she was taking heroin, but that her tolerance levels had declined. |
| "It has been said this is a case of history repeating itself. But this is not entirely so," he added, referring to the death of Geldof's mother Paula Yates, who also died of a heroin overdose. | |
| "By November last year she had ceased to take heroin as a result of the considerable treatment and counselling that she had received. | |
| "This was a significant achievement for her but, for reasons we will never know, prior to her death she returned to taking heroin, with the fatal consequences that we have heard here today. | |
| "I therefore find that the death of Peaches Geldof was drug-related and I express my sympathy to her family." |