Birthday tragedy after lethal dose of heroin

Hanna Stange, from Swanage, recalled how her 16th birthday party had ended in tragedy with 34-year-old Simon Harding's death.

Giving evidence at a Bournemouth inquest, she said: "Simon injected himself in front of me and said 'happy birthday'. He stumbled over and collapsed on the floor. I thought he was asleep."

The teenager told the hearing how she and Mr Harding, of Vicarage Road, Swanage, had been in a group of friends celebrating her birthday at Adrian Vicars' Ilminster Road flat.

She claimed Mr Vicars had gone out to buy the class A drugs but Mr Vicars insisted he didn't know where the heroin had come from.

"When I discovered Simon wasn't breathing Hanna rang for an ambulance," he said.

Paramedics tried to revive Mr Harding at the scene but he died a short time later at Poole Hospital.

A post-mortem examination howed Mr Harding had died from multiple drug poisoning.

A blood alcohol reading revealed he had consumed more than four times the legal drink-drive limit.

Mr Harding's mother Martie Harding recalled how her youngest son had been involved in the local drugs scene since the age of 18.

"I used to tell him he was not going to reach 40 but I never thought it was true," she added.

Karen Eaton from Cranborne Road, Swanage, told the hearing how Mr Harding had said he was going to take a fatal drug overdose on the morning after Hanna's birthday.

She added: "He told me nothing would stop him taking a cocktail of drugs."

Six people at the birthday party were arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs to Mr Harding on the night of his death.

But they were all released without charge after the Crown Prosecution Service ruled that there was insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution.

East Dorset Coroner Sheriff Payne recorded a verdict that Mr Harding had died from alcohol and drug abuse.

He said: "I totally discount any suggestion that he wanted to commit suicide."

First published: May 27