Inquest: MDMA "a deadly game of Russian Roulette"

Monday 30 April 2018

Rogue batches of MDMA tablets up to 200% stronger than usual have been found circulating the island, following the death of a teenager who took super-strength ‘Ikea’ and ‘Stone Island’ pills, an inquest has heard.

Relief Coroner Martin Barratt concluded on Friday that 18-year-old Kyle Peter Pringle died due to the toxic effects of illegal MDMA - a class A drug more commonly known as ecstasy for its ‘euphoric’ effects – on Saturday 17 June last year.

In statements provided by Kyle’s friend and girlfriend, the Coroner heard how an ambulance had been called to his home in the early hours. 

He had thrown a house party on Friday evening at his home, where the guests drank beer, smoked cannabis and listened to music. His girlfriend reported that he “started taking some pills called Ikea and Stone Island”, which prompted her to go to bed because she “never liked Kyle taking pills”, which the couple often argued about. 

Kyle briefly left to go to Havana before returning home around 03:00. His girlfriend commented how he appeared noticeably unwell. He started to “freak out” and was said to be “sweating badly” and not making any sense when he spoke, leading some of the group to question whether his drink had been spiked.

Pictured: The fatal 'Ikea'-brand MDMA pills.

His girlfriend said that she was “scared” and “didn’t know what to think”, as she desperately tried with a friend to “calm Kyle down.”

He went upstairs to his room, where a friend later found him suffering what appeared to be a seizure, and with a high temperature. They tried to cool him down with cold towels, but his condition quickly deteriorated, and paramedics were called after Kyle’s skin went grey and his lips purple.

On arrival, paramedics found him to be “very hot to the touch” with a temperature around 41.9degrees. They attempted CPR in the bedroom, then took him to hospital to continue their efforts, but were sadly unsuccessful. 

A post-mortem examination found no alcohol in his bloodstream, but the levels of MDMA in his blood were “within the range that deaths have been attributed to the compound” according to a report by Dr Peter Southall.

States Analyst Nick Hubbard explained how recreational users’ blood concentration levels are usually around 0.25mg of MDMA per litre of blood, but that in “very rare cases” death can occur with just 0.1mg, with a single tablet capable of causing a fatality.

It was unknown how much MDMA Kyle had taken, but a hospital sample of his blood detected 2.2mg per litre – almost 10 times this recreational average.

While Kyle was known to have previously used recreational drugs such as cannabis, as well as so-called legal highs during a difficult period in his youth, Mr Hubbard added that there was no evidence that experienced users were any less susceptible to the effects of the drug. In fact, he said that resistance could lead to multi-dosing, which would increase the chance of fatality.

But the main issue with the pills, the Relief Coroner was told, was that it was impossible to tell the difference between any two tablets, which could each be drastically different in their composition. PC Glen Cleave, Assistant Police Coroner’s Officer, described this as “a deadly game of Russian Roulette.”

Mr Hubbard stated that the usual average in the UK was around 135mg of MDMA per tablet in the UK, but that “in Jersey recently I’ve been analysing tablets that contain 300mg of MDMA in a single tablet, which is about three times the strength.” 

Having heard the evidence, the Relief Coroner concluded that Kyle – described as an individual who loved gaming with friends on his Xbox and visiting his grandmother - died from “poisoning by self-administered MDMA.” 

He concluded by sharing his condolences with family and friends telling them, “how sorry I am that Kyle should have died in this way.”