A 19-year-old died after suffering cardiac arrest in a pub toilet cubicle in Heaton. Inquest reveals cause of death was alcohol-related.
Alfie Robinson planned a night out to meet friends in Newcastle outside The Gate at 8 PM. He did not arrive, worrying his friends, and they couldn’t reach him by phone.
The inquest occurred on Tuesday at Newcastle Coroner’s Court. Alfie suffered cardiac arrest at The Chillingham pub in Heaton and died in the hospital after some days.
He had talked to people outside, then he went to the pub toilet. CCTV footage showed how he approached the pub from Byker around 7:24 PM. The video showed him “visibly unsteady.” He paused to speak to some outside customers.
The assistant coroner said Alfie seemed “intoxicated” and noted he appeared “distressed.” He talked about a recent breakup with strangers.
He entered the pub and walked inside, then returned to speak with a customer. Again, he went back inside the pub; a customer then entered the toilet. This person heard Alfie “snoring loudly,” and Alfie did not respond to any calls.
The customer told the bar staff about their worry. Staff used a crowbar to open the cubicle, found Alfie unresponsive, and called an ambulance.
Paramedics arrived at 9:31 PM. Alfie was in asystolic cardiac arrest.The crew performed two rounds of CPR, which restored the heart’s rhythm.
He was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary to the Intensive Care Unit. Doctors sedated him to prevent a fever. On day three, they tried to wake him, but Alfie did not respond as hoped. A CT scan showed brain damage, and life support stopped on October 22. Alfie passed away soon after.
The inquest concluded his death’s cause was hypoxic ischaemic brain injury. This followed the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The cause of death was “alcohol related.”
Alfie’s alcohol level was very high, at 4,205mg per litre, which is over five times the legal limit.
Assistant Coroner Mercer spoke plainly, saying he would not have died if not for the excessive alcohol, believing this very strongly.
