Nicola’s friend breaks down in court

The close friend of Nicola Furlong who was with her on the night of her death broke down in tears as she told a Tokyo court she believed drinks spiked with drugs were the reason the two of them blacked out after drinking with the man accused of strangling Ms Furlong and another man standing trial for assaulting the unidentified Irishwoman last May.

The woman, who spoke via live audio feed, said that neither she nor Ms Furlong had ever lost consciousness after drinking and had never taken drugs.

“I find it very difficult to believe I was unconscious for so long” solely as a result of alcohol, she said, after describing how she had lost consciousness for several hours after drinking with the men. “I can only think it’s because something was put in the drink.”