A 22-year-old man died at a friend's home after overdosing on a cocktail of drugs, an inquest has heard. Dominic Bartlett was found dead on May 27 last year at a property in North Cornelly, Bridgend county.
Circumstances of death
Pontypridd coroners' court was told Mr Bartlett, from Bettws, had a history of illicit drug use and overdosing. On the day of his death, he visited his friend's address at Pil-y-Cynffig in North Cornelly. Coroner Patricia Morgan said: 'He consumed alcohol and various drugs during the day and fell asleep. Later that day, Mr Bartlett was discovered unresponsive with vomit around his mouth.'
After emergency services attended, Mr Bartlett was declared dead at the scene. A post-mortem gave the cause of death as multidrug toxicity from MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine), morphine, pregabalin and benzodiazepines.
Drug involved: MDA
Release, a centre of drug expertise, describes MDA as a manmade stimulant which has been used since the 1960s, including in the club scene, with some similarities to MDMA (ecstasy) and the hallucinogen LSD.
Wales drug death statistics
The latest figures from Public Health Wales show morphine and other opioids were involved in 200 (69%) of the 288 drug misuse deaths in Wales in 2024. Anxiety drug pregabalin was also frequently reported in drug misuse deaths from that period, according to Public Health Wales.
Public Health Wales noted that some 62% of the drug misuse deaths from 2024 involved more than one substance, most commonly opioids combined with cocaine or benzodiazepines. The death toll of 288 was the highest number ever recorded in a year in Wales.
Expert comment
Substance misuse expert Prof Rick Lines said at the time: 'These figures show the continued harm opioids are causing across Wales, often alongside substances such as cocaine and benzodiazepines.' He added: 'Drug-related deaths remain far more common in our most deprived communities. This shows the need for wider action on housing, poverty and health inequalities alongside the work of specialist drug services.'
Inquest conclusion
Coroner Patricia Morgan recorded a conclusion of drug-related death in the inquest of Mr Bartlett. The inquest heard he did not have an occupation at the time of his death.
