Thatcham man died from drug overdose, not coronavirus vaccine

A MAN found dead in his Thatcham home was suspected by his family to have suffered a bad reaction to a coronavirus vaccine.

But an inquest held at Reading Town Hall on Thursday, June 23, determined otherwise after a cocktail of street drugs was found in his system.

Jamie Earl Johnson had been self medicating a social anxiety problem with heroin and cocaine, the hearing was told.

Assistant Berkshire coroner Alan Blake said police were called to an address in Boscawen Road on June 21 last year and found the 47-year-old clearly dead inside his home.

Mr Blake said Mr Johnson's family were under the impression that he had recently received a coronavirus vaccination and had been hospitalised following an adverse reaction to that.

But Mr Blake said Mr Johnson's GP at the Burdwood Surgery in Thatcham had actually been concerned about his patient's unvaccinated status.

And the only record of hospitalisation had been for a previous, unrelated issue, the inquest heard.

Post mortem tests revealed Mr Johnson had been suffering from severe broncho pneumonia at the time of his death.

A toxicology report revealed he had taken a cocktail of street and prescription drugs including heroin, cocaine, cannabis, the synthetic opioid methadone, benzodiazepenes, and anxiety reducing medicines.

Mr Blake said it was not clear whether he had been prescribed the methadone and anxiolytic drugs or had obtained them on the street.

He added that Mr Johnson suffered from severe social anxiety and agoraphobia and would "self medicate" when he had to go out to visit his GP or go to the job centre.

Although he had been prescribed appropriate drugs for his condition, these did not show up in toxicology tests, suggesting he had not been taking them, said Mr Blake.

Mr Johnson had occasionally become depressed and expressed suicidal thoughts, the hearing was told.

But Mr Blake said: "In this the evidence falls far short of establishing the necessary intent for suicide... there is nothing to suggest he suffered from suicidal ideation in June 2021."

And the quantities of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methadone, while dangerous in combination, were at the lower end of the scale where fatality could be a serious risk, according to the toxicology report.

Mr Blake noted that "Jamie's death will have brought great sadness to his family and friends" and recorded his condolences before reaching a conclusion of drug-related death.