A 22-YEAR-OLD Ilkeston mental health worker died after taking a lethal drug that has claimed the lives of six other people in Derbyshire, an inquest has heard.
Kimberly Bradbury, of Hedges Drive, died on June 8 last year after being rushed to hospital in the early hours of the morning.
During a night out to celebrate a friend's birthday, Miss Bradbury took what she believed to be ecstasy but turned out to be a deadly substance known as PMA.
The drug, also known as Dr Death, is five times stronger than regular ecstasy and can take longer to work, meaning users can end up taking multiple hits to speed up the effects.
Steve Holme, drugs adviser to Derbyshire police, told the inquest the force had recovered more PMA than any other drug this year and that it had been responsible for six deaths in the county in the past two years.
He said: "The chemicals needed to produce MDMA (ecstasy) haven't been available, so drug dealers have been putting whatever they want in."
One of the men at the party that night, Callum Slack, 27, of Swanwick Road, Ilkeston, was sentenced to nine months in prison for attempting to supply two people with drugs on the same evening.
There was no suggestion that Slack supplied the drugs that led to the death of Miss Bradbury.
An inquest into her death at Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner's Court heard evidence from friends who were with her on the night of her death.
They openly admitted that drugs had been taken on more than one occasion through the night and that Kimberly was a recreational drug user.
A postmortem examination found amphetamine and PMA in her system, which caused her death.
However, in evidence, it became clear that the girls were under the impression that they were taking the drug MDMA (ecstasy).
One friend told how they had taken the drug before going into an Ilkeston pub. They then got a taxi into Nottingham.
At 2.30am, they went back to a friend's house, where Kimberly is believed to have taken what she thought was MDMA (ecstasy).
Shortly afterwards, she became unwell and her friend called an ambulance. She died at the Queen's Medical Centre.
Doctor Andrew Hitchcock is a consultant pathologist at the Derby Royal Hospital.
He said: "When a stimulant effect goes wrong, it can produce hypothermia, brain swelling and epileptic seizures."
Deputy coroner Paul McCandless recorded a conclusion of drug-related death.
He said: "The impression I get of the group is that there is a blasé attitude about the taking of stimulants. They are not mindful of the dangers.
"I am in no doubt that this young woman had everything to live for and brought enjoyment to people's lives.
"I can but hope that lessons are learned by those who have been left behind."
