Mum invited son’s friends to hospital to see impact of taking hard drugs
Latest news
A MOTHER, whose 26-year-old son died after taking illegal drugs, invited his friends to see him in intensive care shortly before his death to demonstrate the dangers of using illegal substances.
William Windrum, of Stimpson Avenue, Abington, Northampton, died in Northampton General Hospital after taking recreational drugs, believed to be mephodrone, otherwise known as ‘meow meow’.
An inquest at Northampton General Hospital yesterday heard Mr Windrum was walking back from a shop with his friend, Ryan McShane, on August 11 last year when his legs “gave way” and he went into a violent fit.
In a statement read to the inquest, Mr McShane said his friend had been drinking and taking drugs and told him he had paid £40 for two seven gram “hits” of mephodrone.
However, Mr McShane said he did not believe it could have been mephodrone as he had “never seen anyone react like that before.”
The inquest heard that Mr Windrum was taken to Northampton General Hospital by ambulance and during the journey he suffered a heart attack.
Mr Windrum, a former Moulton School pupil, was taken into intensive care but suffered liver failure and swelling of his brain.
He died on August 15.
Sandra Windrum, William’s mother, said her son had promised her that he would never do “hard drugs”.
In a statement read to the inquest, Mrs Windrum said she invited all her son’s friends to see him in intensive care shortly before he died to “make them aware of what drugs can do to someone”.
Mrs Windrum said she found there were two different groups of friends who visited: “one that had grown up with Mr Windrum and known him all his life” and one group she “knew little about” but had spent more time with Mr Windrum in the days before his death.
County coroner Anne Pember, recording a verdict of accidental death that was drug and alcohol related, said Mr Windrum’s death should “act as a lesson to all young people” about the dangers of using drugs.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
