A 40-year-old woman died after taking Monkey Dust two days later Christmas.
Natalie Doorbar was found dead at a house in Biddulph, Staffordshire, on December 27 last year after taking the synthetic drug.
The 40-year-old, who is believed to be having a relapse, was seen by her family on Christmas Day after six months off drugs.
Mrs Doorbar texted her mother on Boxing Day saying she would ‘be back soon’, but a day later she was found dead after a 999 call at around 12.30pm.
One of the first responders to the property, PC Carly Statham, told the inquest: ‘Natalie was reported to be hot, sweaty with purple lips and breathing shallowly.
“The callers later reported that she had stopped breathing.”
PC Statham added that there were four others in the property at the time of Mrs Doorbar’s death, all of whom ‘showed drug use’.
She continued, “I was told they had bought an eighth of monkey dust that morning. That’s what they all took with them.’
Natalie Doorbar was found dead in a house in Biddulph, Staffordshire, on December 27 last year after taking the synthetic drug Monkey Dust.
Ms Doorbar had withdrawn £100 from her bank account earlier in the day, the inquest heard.
The police discovered burnt pieces of foil and seized a number of small bags containing Monkey Dust at the property.
A toxicology report revealed that Ms. Doorbar had Monkey Dust, cocaine, THC and diazepam in her system at the time of her death.
Ms Doorbar had used drugs from a young age, starting during a relationship while she worked as a hairdresser.
After returning to the family home while in the midst of a drug addiction, Ms Doorbar’s mother recorded her ‘under the influence’ and showed it to her daughter.
After seeing the footage, Ms Doorbar apologized and vowed not to use drugs again.
Mrs Doorbar’s mother told the inquest that after stopping drugs, her daughter ‘returned to her happy, normal self’.
“She kept her word and didn’t do drugs,” she said. ‘We had Christmas dinner together.
“She was the happiest I’ve seen her in years. Then she got ready and went outside. That was the last time we saw her.’
Dr. Mark Stefan told the inquest that Ms Doorbar’s death was due to the effects of MD-PHP ‘the common active ingredient in monkey dust’.
He added that the cause of death was ‘likely to be cardiac arrest’, while coroner Fiona Gingell concluded Ms Doorbar’s death was drug-related.
“There is no question that she had a history of using illegal drugs. But in the past six months, she was on a better path,” she said.
‘Every time someone uses them there is always significant risk and danger. I’m convinced she brought monkey dust of her own free will.
‘It was by accident. She took these medications and unfortunately died as a result.’
Biddulph is just a 20-minute drive from Stoke-on-Trent, considered the monkey dust capital of Britain.
Hundreds of people live in the northern city who are addicted to the cheap, synthetic and very powerful drug.
The substance is so powerful that local addicts have nicknamed Stoke ‘Dust Central’.
