DJ had heart attack after taking amphetamines

One of Cork’s most popular DJs suffered a massive heart attack after taking speed, an inquest heard yesterday.

John Brosnan, 35, who was well-known on the city’s music scene as DJ Broz, suffered chest pains a few hours after taking the amphetamines at home on Douglas St at about 10pm on Sept 29 last.

He had also taken half a tablet of Kamagra, a herbal Viagra-like drug whose key ingredient is sildenafil, which had been bought over the internet.

His partner, Michael Nason, told Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday that by 4am the next morning, Mr Brosnan was complaining of chest pains, breathlessness and numbness in his arms.

The couple walked the short distance to the emergency department of the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital to seek help.

An ECG just after 4.30am showed widespread evidence of a heart attack.

Mr Brosnan suffered a seizure at 4.55am and went into full cardiac arrest just after 5am. Doctors battled for over an hour to save him, but he was pronounced dead just after 6am.

Assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said her autopsy found extensive hardening of a coronary artery and lethal levels of amphetamines in his system.

She said that there was a well-recognised link between hardening of the arteries and the regular use of amphetamines, which can also have the immediate effect of clot formation.

In this case, she said there was a direct link between Mr Brosnan’s long-term recreational use of amphetamines and the fatal heart attack. And while there were some examples in the medical literature of a link between sildenafil and heart disease, Dr Bolster said it was not clear-cut in this case.

The cause of death was an acute heart attack due to hardening of the arteries and a clot following recreational use of amphetamines.

The jury recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

“We were partners for 18 years. The last few months have been devastating,” Mr Nason said afterwards.

He said the inquest had clarified several things for him and his partner’s family, but had raised some issues they would like to discuss with the hospital.

DJ Broz was one of the most popular figures on Cork’s music scene.

Friends described him as full of life and fun, and always the heart and soul of a party.

He lived with Mr Nason for a time in Holland before the couple returned to Cork a few years ago.

Mr Brosnan fronted soul and disco outfit Sexual Chocolate, which performed in Cork Opera House, and he also played a key role in building tolerance and understanding between the city’s gay and straight communities through his involvement with the popular music nights like Mór Disco and Workout.