Nek Nomination played part in DJ’s death, inquest told

The internet craze Nek Nomination played a part in the death of a DJ who died after he “threw back” a pint of whiskey.

Ross Cummins, aged 22, described as “the life and soul of the party”, was found unresponsive on a friend’s couch on February 1 last year.

An inquest yesterday heard the dangerous craze had been a factor in his death. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned at Dublin Coroner’s Court on Mr Cummins who lived at Stella Gardens, Irishtown.

Coroner Brian Farrell said: “The circumstances don’t fit the definition of a Nek Nomination but there was talk [at the party] of Nek Nomination and it seems that may have put the idea in his head.”

The hearing was told Mr Cummins went to his friend Alan Boland’s house at Macken St on Friday, January 31, 2014, where he drank alcohol and took cocaine with a group of friends.

They went out to a bar in Dublin before returning to the house, where the party continued.

One of the group, Alice Eccles, said Mr Cummins was in good form and was chatty. She met him for the first time that night.

“There was talk of Nek Nominations and Ross said: ‘I could do that.’ He filled a pint glass with whiskey and drank it down in a matter of seconds,” said Ms Eccles.

The coroner asked if the mention of Nek Nomination could have put the idea in his head “It could have done... He just threw it back,” she said.

Laura Byrnes said: “We were pretty shocked when he did it. I remember talking to him after and it looked as if he’d had a stroke or something.”

Both women learned of Mr Cummins’ death on Facebook the following day. Mr Boland said he told his friend not to drink the whiskey “but he downed it in one go”. He took a picture of him and shared it on WhatsApp “to show how asleep he was” on a couch.

The next morning his friend was “white as a ghost”. Emergency services arrived but Mr Cummins was unresponsive.

A toxicology report showed a blood alcohol level of 420mg and cocaine, contaminated with levamisole, a worming medicine used on cows and horses. The cause of death was cardio respiratory failure due to acute alcohol toxicity with cocaine.

The family yesterday paid tribute to their son. “He was a wonderful lad,” his father Robert Cummins said. “The cocaine was a total shock, we knew nothing about that.”

His two older brothers were too upset to attend the inquest and their mother Jackie Cummins said: “They did everything together. He is hugely missed by everyone.”

The deceased’s girlfriend, Niamh Murphy, said he was full of life and fun. “He was always the life and soul of the party,” she said.