Man died after taking 60 paracetamol

A man who went into liver failure after he took a paracetamol overdose told doctors he did not want to die, an inquest heard.

Gary Staunton, 24, of Newgrange Rd in Cabra, Dublin 7, died after suffering multi-organ failure at St Vincent’s Hospital on Jul 5 last year, two days after he had taken the overdose of more than 60 paracetamol tablets.

His mother Elizabeth Staunton told Dublin Coroner’s Court that her son had had one previous minor incident of self- harm when he took some valium tablets because he was concerned about his appearance.

Mr Staunton had been the victim of a gay bashing a few years earlier which left him with a scar on the side of his eye.

In the weeks before his death, he had been upset because a planned trip to the US to visit friends was cancelled at the last minute.

He was also experiencing some difficulties at work, but Mrs Staunton said he was in good spirits the weekend before the overdose having attended Gay Pride.

On Jul 3, Mr Staunton came downstairs and told his mother he had taken “a good few paracetamol”.

He was taken to the Mater Hospital before being moved to St Vincent’s Hospital where the family where told by consultant hepatologist Dr Raphael Merriman that Mr Staunton would need a liver transplant.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell told the family that medical reports showed that on admission to St Vincent’s, Mr Staunton told medics that he did not want to die and that he regretted taking the overdose.

However, he had suffered significant and irreversible damage to his liver. He was placed at the top of the transplant list but his condition rapidly deteriorated as his liver function worsened and he died as a result of multi- organ failure due to the overdose on the evening of Jul 5.

Dr Farrell returned a verdict of self-inflicted death.