Man jumped to death after taking magic mushrooms
Dublin County Coroner, Dr Kieran Geraghty predicted he would get reports of at least one other similar case of someone dying from experimenting with drugs within the next few weeks.
Dr Geraghty made his comments after an inquest heard how Colm Hodkinson, 33, of The Anchorage, Clarence Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, died as a result of severe head injuries after vaulting the balcony of a fourth-floor roof garden in his apartment complex on October 30 last year.
“I hope at least one person will hear what I have to say today and hesitate before going down that road,” said the coroner.
Several witnesses gave evidence that Mr Hodkinson had consumed up to three raw magic mushrooms shortly before the tragic incident.
They told the inquest that Colm had mentioned he bought six punnets of the hallucinogenic mushrooms for 90 from The Hemp Store in Capel Street, Dublin, two days earlier.
The sale of unprocessed magic mushrooms was legal at the time. However, they were subsequently banned by Health Minister Mary Harney as a result of meeting Mr Hodkinson’s family.
The inquest heard how a group of friends were playing cards and Trivial Pursuit in Mr Hodkinson’s apartment on a Sunday evening when they began taking the magic mushrooms. Evidence was also given that small quantities of alcohol and cannabis were consumed by some members of the group including the victim.
Mr Hodkinson’s friend, Johnny Hayes, said he was “100% positive” that it was the magic mushrooms that had a detrimental effect on his friend. Colm had never shown any sign of depression or suicide, he told the inquest.
The golf enthusiast, who had recently taken over a dry-cleaning business from his father was also at the happiest stage of his life having recently moved in with his girlfriend Rachel Priest.
Mr Hayes said it appeared that Colm seemed to act as if whatever was on the other side of the balcony was “a saviour” for whatever was going on in his mind. He agreed with Dr Geraghty that it looked like his friend was trying to escape some experience in his head.
A jury of four women and two men returned a verdict of death by misadventure. They recommended that a study be carried out into the potential danger of mind-altering substances.
Mr Hodkinson’s family declined to comment on the case but in a statement his father Eoin said: “We believe that without magic mushrooms, Colm would be alive today. We hope our campaign will save others.”
The owner of The Hemp Store, James McDonald, said he believed magic mushrooms had been unfairly banned as a result of a lobby orchestrated by a number of interest groups including publicans, who were concerned about a drop in the sale of alcohol.
