A devoted and loving mother of five died after she took cocaine and tried to pull out her own teeth, an inquest – which praised the “valiant” efforts of two police officers to save her – has heard. Kiera Kent died at her home in Cornwall in July last year.
An inquest earlier this week heard she was displaying “bizarre and erratic” behaviour after using a class A drug which has historically been used as a dental anaesthetic. Messages from Kiera’s phone suggested she was having problems with wisdom tooth pain, the coroner’s court heard.
DC Lindsay Cork of Devon and Cornwall Police told the inquest that post-mortem report evidence showed Kiera had put her hands into her mouth and caused significant injury. The report also showed scratches and abrasions consistent with Kiera pulling at her own skin.
DC Cork said Kiera’s partner, Liam Crabtree, called the police after becoming worried about her welfare when her behaviour became “bizarre and erratic”. He told officers they hosted a barbecue earlier that day and had both taken cocaine after their guests had left and the children had gone to bed.
Police said Kiera went upstairs and, when she didn’t come back downstairs, her worried partner became concerned and went to investigate. He found Keira lying on the pillow, surrounded by blood with her hands in her mouth, the inquest was told.
The court was told that Keira then picked up a razor and Mr Crabtree wrestled with her as she attempted to put it in her mouth. He then phoned 999 and told the operator that his partner was trying to pull her teeth out.
Police arrived and requested an ambulance – but the inquest heard that there was a considerable delay before paramedics arrived. The officers at the scene, PCs Gemma Henderson and Leanne Gould handcuffed Kiera’s hands in front of her in an attempt to protect her, the inquest heard.
However, Keira stopped breathing – and police commenced CPR for 30 minutes before paramedics arrived and she was pronounced dead. Giving evidence, PCs Gould and Henderson said they did all they could – but they just wished ambulance help turned up sooner.
An IOPC investigation concluded the officers did all could to try and save Kiera. And her family thanked them both for their care and compassion, calling them “a credit to the profession”.
Guy Davies, the assistant coroner for Cornwall, also praised the officers, saying they “fought valiantly to try and save her life”, reported Cornwall Live.
He said: “PCs Gould and Henderson found Kiera in a highly distressed condition, covered in blood, her hands injured and red raw after being thrust into her mouth. The officers endeavoured to restrain Kiera but during the process, she stopped breathing.
“CPR was commenced by the officers who summoned assistance and a defibrillator before paramedics arrived and determined Kiera dead at the scene. The two officers fought valiantly to try and save her life.”
Recording a conclusion of drug-related death, the assistant coroner said that although Kiera’s cocaine level was not in the toxic range, the drug can cause death by creating an electrolyte/chemical imbalance, even when no anatomical reasons for death are apparent. He said that the cocaine accounted for the medical episode that caused Kiera’s death.
After her passing last year, Keira was described as a loving person to all who knew her and a devoted mother to her five children.
