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telegraph.co.uk
Teacher stabbed himself to death while high on magic mushrooms
A teacher repeatedly stabbed himself in the neck with a broken bottle while high on magic mushrooms, an inquest heard.
Simon Packham, 27, had taken about 20 of the hallucinogenic mushrooms before disappearing on December 10 last year while living in Colombia.
He returned to the hostel where he was staying and when friends found him at around 9.30pm he became agitated, smashing a bottle and stabbing himself over and over, causing fatal injuries.
Packham, from Hackbridge, south west London, arrived in Bogota on August 10 last year to teach English as a foreign language.
He was a recreational drug user and toxicology reports also later found traces of cocaine and marijuana in his body.
Coroner's officer, Mrs Sharon Marshall, said: "Reports received from Colombian police say that on the 10th December 2007 between 5pm and 6pm Simon Packham was with his friend Katerina Lucia in her flat where she witnessed him consume 20 mushrooms known to have a hallucinogenic affect.
"Mrs Lucia witnessed Simon Packham eat these and remain for a couple of hours before becoming incoherent. He fell asleep for half an hour before he woke up and left."
She continued: "She found Simon Packham at about 9.30pm at his hostel where other residents had noticed a change in his behaviour.
"His friends tried to talk to him but Simon Packham walked to the other end of the building before his friends heard shattering of broken glass. She rushed over and saw Simon Packham brandishing a broken bottle in his hand.
"The friend shouted for him to put the bottle down but Simon Packham started jamming it in his neck."
Packham, who was described as a keen kickboxer and sportsman with many friends, had been due to fly home for Christmas just nine days after he died.
Mrs Marshall added: "Simon Packham has been described as a happy-go-lucky person who liked to travel. Whilst travelling he would teach English as a second language.
"He enjoyed kickboxing, running and sports. It is known he was a recreational user of cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy."
Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, Coroner Dr Paul Knapman, said: "It is perfectly clear he has died from haemorrhagic shock due to inflicted injuries to his neck. It is also perfectly clear that when he did so he was not himself he was under the influence of drugs so it can't be said this is a true suicide.
"He was clearly under the influence of these mushrooms and the problem was made worse by marijuana and cocaine. For that reason I am going to say this is a case of misadventure."
After the hearing at Westminster Coroner's Court, Simon's father, said he lived for travelling and teaching and was close to his family which includes one brother and three sisters.
Robert Packham, 57, a retired electrician, said the tragedy should act as a warning to other young travellers.
