Neighbour feared he 'failed' Carol-Ann Wilson who died after a drugs overdose

A NEIGHBOUR tried in vain to save the life of drug-user who died after taking a cocktail of substances at her home in Christchurch, an inquest heard.

Andrew Bostock rushed round to Carol-Ann Wilson’s home in Melbourne Avenue on the morning of 17th June last year after her partner, Gary Kelly, called out for help.

At Bournemouth Coroners’ Court, Mr Bostock told how he found her lying on the floor with Mr Kelly, who had recently suffered a stroke, struggling to carry out CPR.

Mr Bostock took over and tried to revive Ms Wilson (47) but said: “I couldn’t feel a pulse. I thought she was gone then.”

He said he had spent the 18 months since “feeling like I had failed her”.

But at the inquest it was revealed Ms Wilson was still alive when she was taken to hospital.

However, she suffered such severe brain damage from the drug overdose her death could not have been prevented.

Mr Bostock said: “I am so glad I have heard that – that I couldn’t have saved her. It has made me feel a little bit better.”

A post-mortem examination found in her body methadone, cocaine, diazepam and pregabalin – a prescription drug used to treat anxiety.

The combination had depressed her breathing and starved her brain of oxygen.

Mr Bostock, who was a good friend of Ms Wilson and Mr Kelly, told the hearing they had a “drug-fuelled relationship”, and at the time of her death Ms Wilson was taking drugs “every day”.

Mr Kelly was “on a break” from them at the time, he said.

Because of her drug addiction and the fact she suffered the lung condition COPD, he said Ms Wilson was frequently taken to hospital.

Mr Bostock said: “She’d be taken to hospital and be bouncing back through the gate half an hour later.”

When she was admitted on the day of her overdose, however, she was hardly breathing, the coroner heard. A scan showed areas of her brain had already died.

She was taken to the intensive care unit where she died two days later.

A statement from Ms Wilson’s mother, Christine, told how her daughter had left home at 16 and “became involved with a bad crowd drinking alcohol and taking drugs”.

She had been helped by addiction services in Dorset but had continued to take substances including crack cocaine, heroin and “street” Valium, the inquest heard, as well as abusing prescribed medicines.

Coroner Debbie Rookes ruled Ms Wilson’s death was drug-related.