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Government of Western Australia State Coat of Arms
Coroner's Court of Western Australia

Government of Western Australia State Coat of Arms
Coroner's Court of Western Australia

Inquest Findings

Home →Inquest Findings→Inquest Findings 2018→Colloff, Steven John

Inquest into the Death of Steven John COLLOFF

Inquest into the Death of Steven John COLLOFF

Delivered on :22 March 2018

Delivered at : Perth

Finding of : Coroner Linton

Recommendations :N/A

Orders/Rules : N/A

Suppression Order : N/A

Summary : The Coroner found the deceased had been a long term user of cannabis, without any known serious detrimental effects on his health, until late in 2015.  At that time, due to difficulties sourcing his drug of choice, the deceased made the fateful decision to turn to the alternative of using a synthetic cannabinoid.  On the morning of 21 November 2015 the deceased was known to have smoked a synthetic cannabinoid prior to leaving his mother’s house.  A few hours later he was found at a beach suffering from severe heat stroke and seizures as a result of the effect of the synthetic cannabinoid and its consequences.  His physical state was so compromised at that stage that he had no hope of being saved, despite the best efforts of paramedics and medical staff.

The Coroner found the deceased died on 22 November 2015 at Royal Perth Hospital as a result of organ failure following use of synthetic cannabinoids and consequent hyperthermia. The manner of death was by way of misadventure.

The inquest focused primarily on expert evidence in relation to the increasing prevalence of synthetic cannabinoids in the community and how they contributed to the death of the deceased.

Catch Words : Synethetic cannabinoids : Chronic substance abuse problem : Misadventure.


Last updated: 30-Apr-2019

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