Crowston, Amanda Terese Francis

TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS

CORONERS COURT

MACK, Coroner

TOWN-COR-000154/05

IN THE MATTER OF AN INQUEST INTO THE CAUSE AND CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF AMANDA TERESE FRANCIS CROWSTON

TOWNSVILLE .- DATE 26/09/2007

CONTINUED FROM 05/07/2007

FINDINGS

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26092007 D.02 TC1/MAH(TS¥V) M/T TOWNO5 (Mack, Coroner) CORONER: This is the continuation of an inquest into the

death of Amanda Terese Crowston. These are my findings with

respect to the death of Amanda Terese Francis Crowston.

The evidence in the inquest was taken on the 5th of July 2007 and the inquest was adjourned for findings to be delivered.

Evidence was received in the form of witness statements,

h the exhibits mentioned in those

police reports, along wi documents. All statements and other evidentiary documents

were made available to the next of kin.

During my consideration of the evidence in this matter and in formulating the findings I am about to deliver I had pause for thought on the limited nature of the findings that would

likely be made in this inquest.

I was concerned that the brief nature of the findings would in some way understate the value of Ms Crowston's life, a life that ended far too soon. To that extent I make the comment that the purpose of these findings is of a very narrow scope.

Their purpose is not to provide an assessment of the qualit

of a person's life. That assessment is to be made by the

people who knew her well and by whom she was loved.

Amanda Terese Francis Crowston was born on the 2nd of November

1983. She turned 22

iv)

18th birthday with some of her friends. The celebration

included drinking alcohol and on the evidence of her friend,

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26092007 D.02 TOL/MAH(TSV) M/T TOWNOS (Mack, Coroner) Michael Cowley, the taking of an ecstasy tablet. These celebrations ended for Amanda Crowston at about 2 a.m. on

Saturday the 5th of November 2005 when she and her friend

Michael Cowley retired.

On Saturday the 5th of November 2005 Amanda Crowston belatedly celebrated her own birthday with her friends. Those celebrations were prolonged and extended throughout Saturday night and well into Sunday. Evidence from Mr Phillip Beddows suggests that the group, including Amanda Crowston, continued to drink up to about 5 a.m. on Sunday the 6th of November

Later on that day Amanda Crowston went out again in company with Mr Carr and did not get home until about 1 a.m. on Monday

the 7th of November 2005.

During the course of the weekend it is clear that Ms Crowston consumed alcohol and it seems clear from the analyst's certificate that she had ingested amphetamine, methylamphetamine, methylene dioxymethylamphetamine, and methylene dioxyamphetamine. She nad also consumed cannabis.

By the time she had completed her celebrations on Sunday night

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or Monday morning she must have been exhausted. She went to bed on Monday morning and complained of not feeling well.

a en os, be os “ se org has aehy es eyes ow ay bps eyes arn ye os od whey is en ef Some time later when she was alone im her bed she choked on

the contents of her stomach that sne had vomited.

3 FENDENGS

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26092007 D.02 TO1/MAH(TSV) M/T TOWNOS (Mack, Coroner)

meates the investigation surrounding Ms

o i) be 0) a G a) ct on ie) ct 3G oO

‘ion that timely intervention

Crowston's death is the proposi by Mr Wesley Carr may have prevented it. Mr Carr was called as a witness and his is the only evidence available with

respect to Ms Crowston's final moments.

I accept that some of the aspects of the evidence he gave were less than credible and he was not truthful with respect to his involvement with illegal drugs. That being said, there is nothing to suggest that his recollection of the events immediately before and after Ms Crowston's death is not

accurate.

He gave evidence that he was attending to Ms Crowston, that he left her to go to the toilet and when he returned to discover her not breathing he contacted the ambulance who arrived a

short time later.

His evidence at the inquest is not inconsistent with the conversation he had with Detective Edwards at the premises on the 7th of November 2005, and is consistent with his statement

taken by Detective Edwards on the same date.

s to the care he

is)

Mr Carr was questioned at some length

administered to Ms Crowston prior to her death and he conceded dogically enough that if he knew how sick Ms Crowston was he

Li

de

ed the

wouid have ca

likely have survived.

4 FINDINGS

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26092007 D.02 TOL/MAH(TSV) M/T TOWNOS (Mack, Coroner) The reality is that in his view held at the time she was not

so sick that he should call an ambulance, and certainly he did

not expect that she was so sick that she would not survive. ; This view was taken as a result of his previous experience with Ms Crowston where she had suffered the effects of using

alcohol and drugs.

I have also had reference to the evidence of Professor Williams who indicates that the death could occur quite :

rapidly subsequent to the inhalation of the gastric contents.

He also indicated some possible signs that could be expected upon the aspiration of gastric contents. In the present case if there was no-one there to observe those symptoms there

would naturally not be anyone to assist Ms Crowston after she

had vomited. ; 30 i

As to what may have caused her to vomit that is something I am

unable to make a conclusive finding on. Mr Cowley says in his

tatement that Ms Crowston had vomited on Saturday morning the

tt

Sth of November 2005. He put that illness down to a hangover

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due to the alcohol she had had the previous night.

Although the analyst's certificate does not reveal any alcohol 4

G 1S

in Ms Crowston's blood at the time of death

pes

case that she had been drinking on the days pricr to her

death. Professor Williams gave evidence of the general lack

detected

Crowston's blood. .The drugs are illegal and contain

an

PINDINGS 60 :

26092007 D.92 TOL/MAH(TSV) M/T TOWNOS (Mack, Coroner) ingredients that may cause stomach upset or they may have

vomiting as a complication to their use.

In any event the fact that Ms Crowston vomited does not appear

to be surprising given the enthusiasm with which she engaged in the celebration of her birthday. However, I am not ina position to find that there was an inevitability or predictability about Ms Crowston vomiting that night that might lead to a conclusion that she should have been hospitalised that morning rather than be left to recover at

home.

Clearly if she had been hospitalised she would have survived but that is a case of being wise after the event. The same can be said of the proposition that Ms Crowston should have been placed in a recovery position if she was to be left

unattended particularly if she was conscious when left alone.

I am cognisant of the limitations placed on the nature of the findings I am able to make with respect to statements

indicating criminal or civil liability. I refer specifically

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to section 45, subsection (5), paragraph (a) and (b) of the

Coroners Act of 2003 and it is not my intention to make any

any person is guilty of

¥ a

civilly liable for any action.

48 of the Coroners Act. With

to that provision it is not my intention to refer the matter

to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

PINDINGS

nn

02 TOL/MAH(TSV) M/T TOWNO5 (Mack, Coroner)

NS lon oO Oo BR Q Oo ~d oS

I now come to my formal findings. I find that the name cf the

deceased was Amanda Terese Francis Crowston. I find that the

deceased died as a result of inhaling vomit after a weekend of celebrations that involved significant alcohol and drug abuse.

In find that Ms Crowston died at 27 Lothair Street, Pimlico, i in the State of Queensland and that the date of death was the

7th of November 2005.

I find the cause of death was aspiration of gastric content

due to drug abuse.

The inquest is now closed.

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7 FINDINGS ae