Drug cocktail killed teenager

A LIMERICK teenager died from a cocktail of drugs which included heroin, an inquest heard yesterday.

Andrew Mulrennan, aged 19, of 377 O’Malley Park, Southill, was found dead in bed on the morning of July 24 last.

Garda Aidan Condon said he was in a patrol car at 8:50am when he got a message about a sudden death.

He met an ambulance crew at 337 O’Malley Park and the body of the deceased was in a bunk bed inside the house.

Dr Darragh Little pronounced Mr Mulrennan dead at the scene.

Garda Condon said he met Dermot Boland who told him he went to wake Mulrennan and found him dead.

Mr Boland told Garda Condon that the deceased told him he was going to “the Island” (St Mary’s Park housing state) the previously day to get some tablets after a row with his girlfriend. He said the deceased got 15 Zanex and he gave Boland five of the tablets.

Mr Boland said the deceased had some “gear” in the bed where he was found dead. When Garda Condon asked what he meant by “gear”, Mr Boland said it was heroin.

Pathologist, Dr Elizabeth Mulcahy, said that toxicology tests of blood and urine taken from the deceased showed up a derivative of heroin along with Zanex.

She said death was due to heart failure due to the toxic effects of opiate drugs.

A verdict of misadventure was recorded by the jury.

Limerick gardaí say there is a worrying increase in the use of heroin among drug users in the city.