Inquest Details Final Hours of Drag Queen After Nightclub Encounter
The final hours of married drag queen Darren Meah-Moore have been revealed in a coroner's inquest, detailing a series of events that led to his death in Cardiff. The 39-year-old performer, known under stage names Crystal Couture and CC Quinn and who had appeared on Ru Paul's Drag Race, was found deceased under cardboard boxes in a central lane.
Discovery of the Body and Initial Reports
Meah-Moore's husband reported him missing on the morning of January 23, 2023, after the drag queen failed to return home. He was last seen leaving Pulse nightclub in Cardiff at approximately 5am, dressed in full drag attire including a luminous green dress, blonde wig, and diamante heels.
Nightclub manager Sean Rogers discovered the body later that day. Rogers reported seeing part of Meah-Moore's dress from the previous night and upon investigation found the performer's body covered with flattened cardboard boxes that had "definitely been placed on top of him." The boxes were described as covering a large portion of the body.
Sexual Encounters and CCTV Evidence
The inquest at Pontypridd Coroner's Court heard that CCTV footage captured Meah-Moore engaging in sexual encounters with multiple men throughout the night. The footage showed him reappearing on camera multiple times during encounters with two different men before a third encounter with another man.
This third man later testified to the coroner that his dog became involved in a sexual encounter with Meah-Moore. The man stated: "Because it was consensual and desired I let him do what he was asked to do. I had never seen something like that before. I could have stopped it and I should have stopped it but I didn't."
Forensic Evidence and Medical Findings
Pathological tests revealed the presence of both human and non-human semen inside Meah-Moore's body, with the non-human semen matching the third man's dog. Medical professionals noted the death was not traumatic in nature.
Coroner David Regan questioned whether Meah-Moore's known allergy to dogs might have played a role, with a pathologist suggesting the drag queen may have died suddenly from "the dog semen." However, Detective Superintendent Paul Raikes testified that while Meah-Moore did have sensitivity to dogs, this could not be definitively established as the cause of death.
Coroner's Assessment and Ruling
Coroner Regan expressed skepticism about several aspects of the third man's testimony. He did not accept the man's claim that he placed cardboard over Meah-Moore's body to keep him warm after he fell asleep, noting that two sheets of cardboard "couldn't reasonably have expected this to provide any warmth."
Regarding the dog's involvement, Regan stated it would be "almost impossible" for the animal to perform the act on a human "without guidance and encouragement." He added: "I don't accept the man's account that the dog penetrated Darren spontaneously without human act causing this to happen."
Official Cause of Death Determination
The coroner ruled the cause of death as "sudden death in a man with bronchial asthma in the cold who had consumed alcohol and in a temporal association with sexual activity including intercourse with a dog."
Regan detailed: "Darren had been socialising during the previous night in a number of city centre locations, and had had sexual contact with at least two males. It is likely he came to be in a collapsed state between 5.52am and 6.33am that morning following penetration by a dog whilst in the company of its owner. It is not known what caused him to be in a collapsed state."
The coroner returned an open conclusion, noting there was insufficient evidence to determine whether Meah-Moore actively sought sexual contact with the dog or whether this occurred without his full consent.
