AN 18-year-old who suffered from epilepsy died after a night out in Workington during which she had taken cocaine, an inquest has heard.

Demi Varty, of West End Close, Flimby, was found unresponsive by her boyfriend, Callum Fox, in his bedroom in his mother’s home in Great Broughton on the morning of Sunday, April 28, 2024.

A statement submitted to Cockermouth Coroner’s Court by a friend who Ms Varty had gone out with the previous evening, said that Ms Varty had felt 'a bit sick and hot' while getting ready to go out.

She said that the friends went out at around 9.30pm, going to several bars including The Well and Bar 32 in Workington, before going back the Brewery House in Great Broughton.

She said that while in Workington, Ms Varty was trying to buy cocaine, and bought a bag at around 10.30pm, and trying to buy another around midnight.

In Great Broughton, they met Mr Fox and and his group of friends, leaving at around 4.30am, according to this statement.

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Assistant coroner for Cumbria, Margaret Taylor, heard in Mr Fox's statement that he had been to a rugby game and went for a few drinks in Cockermouth.

He and Ms Varty had arranged for her to spend the night at his house and the groups of friends met at the Brewery House at around 1am.

The statement says that Ms Varty and Mr Fox went to his mother's house at around 4am, and went to bed.

He said he left shortly after to go to a friend's house, responding to a Snapchat inviting him to watch a rugby union game, and would have to 'get an early bus'.

The statement said: "Before I went, I tapped Demi on the shoulder and told her I was going to his house.

"At this time, she did open her eyes but you could tell she was shattered, but said yes, fine."

He said that around ‘six or seven’, he was watching TV at his friend’s house, when he received a snapchat, with a blank screen and no words but ‘snap me back’.

He said: “I went around half an hour later, and I went upstairs into my room and found Demi dead in my bed.”

He called to his mother, who began performing CPR on Ms Varty, while Mr Fox called for an ambulance at 8.47am.

A statement by Ms Fox’s mother said that she had taken Ms Varty a bottle of water at 6am, and found her on her phone.

She said: "She didn’t seem drunk or under influence of drugs.

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"The next thing I knew Callum ran into my bedroom saying he couldn't wake Demi up."

Paramedics arrived around twelve minutes later, and despite attempts at resuscitation, Ms Varty was pronounced dead at 9.31am.

Great North Air Ambulance was also in attendance.

Police investigations included checks of her financial activity over the last 48 hours, after her friend revealed that she had tried to buy cocaine, but had not been to an ATM or have any cash on her.

A police statement said that investigations uncovered ‘three names of interest’, relating to three bank transfers of £40 the previous evening.

When officers visited one of the suspect’s addresses, their mother said he had 'gone to 'spoons for his tea with a mate'.

Officers then visited Wetherspoons on Oxford Street in Workington, and found two males ‘acting suspiciously’, and looked ‘uncomfortable to see the police’.

An officer identified one of the males, and two were handcuffed and arrested on suspicion of supplying class-A drugs.

A GP report said that Ms Varty had been diagnosed in 2014 with epilepsy. 

She had suffered two seizures in the month prior to her death, and two in 2023, with 'possible triggers being sleep deprivation and alcohol'.

A toxicology report indicated recent cocaine use.

A postmortem report offered a cause of death of hypoxic brain damage, caused by aspiration of gastric contents, caused by a combination of epilepsy and cocaine use.

Ms Taylor concluded: "It’s a tragedy, we've got a young girl, who went out, like so many young people.

"During that night out, she had something to drink, but not a massive amount.

"At some stage, though, it looks like she was given, or purchased cocaine.

"What is most probable is that if she had not had epilepsy, she would not have died by taking the cocaine that she did."

Cumbria Police have confirmed that the investigation has since concluded with no charges made.