Man, 36, collapsed and died in the street after taking cocktail of drugs including cocaine and codeine, inquest hears

A man who was rushed to hospital after police discovered him in cardiac arrest in a Sunderland street died as a result of a drug overdose, an inquest has heard.
Tests found that Mark Haley had, cocaine, codeine and methadone in his system when he died, an inquest heardTests found that Mark Haley had, cocaine, codeine and methadone in his system when he died, an inquest heard
Tests found that Mark Haley had, cocaine, codeine and methadone in his system when he died, an inquest heard

Mark Andrew Brian Haley died in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest in a Sunderland street on Tuesday, June 23.

An inquest into the 36-year-old’s death, which was opened and concluded on Tuesday, June 30, heard a mixture of drugs were found in Mr Haley’s system.

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Police officers had discovered Mr Haley, of Sunderland, in cardiac arrest near Ella Lea Court, on Lower Dundas Street in Roker.

Sunderland Coroner's Court Sunderland Coroner's Court
Sunderland Coroner's Court

Mr Haley, a production operative, was then transferred to Sunderland Royal Hospital where a number of tests including a CT head scan were carried out, the inquest which took place at Sunderland Coroner’s Court at the Civic Centre heard.

Intensive care doctors discovered Mr Haley had suffered an anoxic brain injury - which is caused when the brain is starved of oxygen.

Toxicology tests from urine samples found codeine, cocaine and methadone in Mr Haley’s system.

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Derek Winter, senior coroner at Sunderland Corner’s Court, said: “The formal cause of death is severe anoxic brain injury due to a mixed drug overdose.

“There were no suspicious circumstances and nothing to suggest Mr Haley intended to bring his life to an end.”

Ending the inquest, Mr Winter made a conclusion of ‘misadventures’ stating Mr Haley’s death was the ‘unintended consequence of his own actions’.

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