Published at 16:41, Thursday, 31 January 2013

A BODYBUILDER died from the effects of taking a little-understood “designer drug” and not from being tasered by police, an inquest heard.

Dale Burns, 27, was tasered four times in the living room of his flat in Hartington Street, Barrow, on August 16, 2011.

Before he was tasered, dad-of-two Mr Burns told police he had taken a gram of a drug named “madcat”.

He died that evening after going into cardiac arrest in Furness General Hospital.

Home Office pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd told the inquest into his death yesterday there was no direct link between Mr Burns going into cardiac arrest and his being tasered.

Instead he said it was a consequence of him taking “madcat”, which is a so-called “designer drug” made from the compound MDPV.

Effects of MDPV included a raised heart rate and an irregular heartbeat, as well as agitation and hallucinations, Dr Shepherd said.

The gap in time between Mr Burns being tasered at 6.50pm and going into cardiac arrest at about 8.15pm was too long for them to be linked, Dr Shepherd said.

“I concluded that Dale Burns has died as a direct result of the toxic effects of MDPV,” he said.

Under questioning from the lawyer for Mr Burns’ children, Mr David Lock, Dr Shepherd said restraint by the police may have played a small part in his death. He said: “I would place the direct toxic effects of the drug and the way it has affected the brain and body in the premier league (of causes).

“I would place (restraint) well down the league and I don’t consider it in the premier league in the death of Dale Burns.

“His response to the restraint might be a factor, but less of a factor than taking drugs.”

The officers who arrested Mr Burns have told the inquest he was highly agitated and seemed to be unable to understand what they were saying to him.

Dr Shepherd said it was clear Mr Burns’ “whole being was disturbed and distressed”.

“He had lost his link with reality,” he said.

It was hard for users of drugs like MDPV to know exactly what they were taking due to the way they were made and mixed with other substances, he said.

Dr Shepherd said: “These are chemicals knocked up in a backroom in variable conditions that could create all sorts of variations in the contaminants in the final product.”

The inquest, which is being held in the County Hall, Kendal, continues.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk