Mother left without answers over drugs death of much-loved Ellesmere man
Question marks still surround the death of a Shropshire man who could have had his drink spiked on the night he died, his family said.
Daniel John Williams, 38, was found unresponsive in the street at Birch Road, Ellesmere, in the early hours of March 9 last year. He died at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics and police.
A toxicology report found he died because of a mixture of alcohol and MDMA in his body.
His family maintain that it would have been out of character for him to take the class A drug and an inquest that concluded on Wednesday heard that it was possible he was given the drug without his knowledge.
At the inquest at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury, Shropshire's senior coroner John Ellery said that Mr Williams was found by police and paramedics in Birch Road after reports of a man having a heart attack.
They took over from members of the public who were performing CPR but were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the inquest, Jennifer Williams, Mr Williams' mother, said: "I can't point the finger of accusation because I was not present but... I can see that it was possible [his drink was spiked].
"This is open to speculation unfortunately."
She said that a witness statement from the night said her son had complained of someone putting something in his drink.
'Real question marks'
Detective Constable Will Quan, who investigated Mr Williams' death, said police had spoken to as many witnesses as they had been able to identify and had studied CCTV footage from the Ellesmere Hotel, where Mr Williams had been drinking on the night he died.
At the inquest he said that it was not possible to say whether someone had put the MDMA in Mr Williams' drink.
Mr Ellery said: "It's possible [Mr Williams] had his drink spiked, it's just as possible he went and found a dealer and got it.
"As much as we want to know, as much as the police have tried to answer, it can't be ascertained how, when and where Daniel took or indeed was given the MDMA."
He recorded a conclusion that Mr Williams' death was drug- and alcohol-related.
He also said that the inquest being delayed for almost a year for a Home Office pathology report into the death to be carried out was "unacceptable".
After the inquest, Mrs Williams said: "There are real question marks over his death.
"It seems to me that people have information on his death that have not come forward or have not been identified.
"He was a loving, kind person and he will be sadly missed."
