An aircraft engineer suffocated to death in his family home after inhaling nitrous oxide while wearing a military-style gas mask.
Matthew Barnett from Ashton-in-Makefield, Greater Manchester, was found dead in his bedroom by his mother with bottles of the gas around his body.
The 23-year-old’s death prompted a warning about the dangers of so-called ‘hippy crack’ from a coroner after police also found 24 other cylinders in whipped cream canisters hidden in a box in his room.
Matthew Barnett (pictured) was found dead in his bedroom by his mother after inhaling the gas
Mr Barnett – who worked at Thomas Cook in Manchester Airport – had taken legal highs before but claimed he knew what was ‘bad for him’, an inquest heard.
His father Adrian Barnett, 56, joined coroner Timothy Brennand in warning about the dangers of taking nitrous oxide.
Electrician Mr Barnett said: ‘It’s so dangerous and this should go out as a warning to people who want to use it, this is how dangerous it can be. I don’t know how they can sell it to people.’
The young man was described as ‘sound and solid’ and his family said he was a ‘loving son’.
His father told the Bolton hearing his son was in a happy relationship with partner Oliver Lambley.
As well as the bottles around Mr Barnett’s body, 24 cylinders were found hidden in whipped cream containers under his bed (stock image)
‘He had everything to live for. He worked for Thomas Cook as an aircraft engineer at Manchester Airport. He was a keen sailor and was fascinated with Volkswagen engines.
‘The old Italia VWs, everything from the engines to the tiniest bits of metals, he loved it.
‘He had a meaningful and content relationship with his partner. He enjoyed his life and would have done anything for anyone.
‘He was solid, that’s the best way to describe him. He was sound, a hard worker and very well balanced. He enjoyed his job and had a promising future ahead of him.
‘He never self harmed, he never spoke about being depressed, there was no history of mental illness or self harm. He saw Oliver on the weekends.’
The tragedy occurred on November 12 last year after Matthew’s parents went out on a shopping trip whilst their son was helping a friend renovate a car engine.
Mr Barnett added: ‘He wanted to help a friend with his VW engine and came back to the house to get some tools at 11.50am. His sister left the house for work at 1.20pm. We came back to the house at 1.30pm and my wife, Dianne, called up to him, but we heard no response.
‘She went upstairs to check on him then all I heard was “Oh Matthew”. We knew straight away that something was wrong. We had a feeling that he couldn’t be resuscitated but we did try.
‘We took the mask off and cleared his airways. We had no knowledge of him using nitrous oxide.’
Mr Lambley told the inquest how his partner made regular trips to visit him at the University of Lincoln and that they had been together since October 2016.
Mr Barnett (pictured) was working as an aircraft engineers at Manchester Airport before he died aged just 23
‘I saw him every weekend,’ he said. ‘He arranged to come to mine on 10th November and we wanted to spend the weekend together.
‘We went to see his friend about an engine. He dropped me off for work at 12 and returned home. There was nothing different about his demeanor.
‘There was no other use of recreational drugs or illegal drugs that I knew of. He knew what was right and wrong for him. He had a sense of what was bad for him.’
Pathologist Dr Naveen Sharma confirmed Matthew had been killed by the toxicity of the gas. Dr Sharma said: ‘There were no external marks to the body. All of the internal organs seems normal and there was no drugs or alcohol found in his blood and urine samples.
‘Nitrous oxide is a gas, it is odourless and non flammable. It can be executed through canisters. It is difficult to examine the quality of what was taken as this is a rare case. This gas was held in a whipped cream canister, this sort of mechanism for dispensing it to the tubes.
Mr Barnett’s father warned against the dangers of the drug after his son (pictured) was killed when taking it for recreation
‘It offers a euphoric effect to takers and is recreationally used but can cause chemical asphyxiation and is fatal. The body runs on oxygen, once it is starved of oxygen, this causes the brain to swell. There is nothing to replace the oxygen.
‘As the brain swells this causes asphyxia and the respiratory system breaks down. The body goes into a depression and the organs will shut down. This is irreversible. This can happen in a matter of seconds. He will have not suffered, nor suffered any pain.
Police Coroners Officer Nicola Boyes said: ‘We are not sure of the quantity of nitrous oxide taken. There is no evidence to prove how much he inhaled.
‘There were a number of cans around his body. An iPhone was also found, but this was pin code protected so we could not gain access.
‘There were 24 grey gas cylinders found, I am unsure of the quantity of gas.. There was no third party involvement nor any suspicious circumstances regarding his death.’
Assistant Coroner Timothy Brennand recorded a conclusion of misadventure and said: ‘I am going to eliminate the option of suicide for this conclusion. There were no warning signs of depression or anxiety. He was well liked, solid and dependable.
‘These were unintended consequences of deliberate actions. This is a dangerous gas and can be lethal. The family have showed the upmost dignity and strength during this hearing. Your loss must have been unimaginable.
A Government report last October said the number of deaths from inhaling so-called hippy crack had doubled from 2015 with eight people succumbing to the effects of the gas in 2016.
The gas usually consumed through balloons has long been used by thrill-seeking youngsters at festivals, nightclubs and gigs, and has been likened to snorting cocaine as it gives users an intense feeling of euphoria.
Prince Harry and footballer Raheem Sterling had previously been seen indulging in laughing gas, and TV actress Michelle Keegan has also been pictured inhaling balloons.
But figures showed that nitrous oxide was mentioned on eight death certificates in 2016, doubling the four it was recorded on the year previous. Between 1993 and 2009, the gas killed six people.
UK laws state it is illegal for the canisters to be sold for recreational purposes, but they can be bought on the dark web. Those seeking the high can still purchase the drug if they buy from online catering companies, as it used to make whipped cream.
These canisters are then used to inflate balloons with, allowing users to inhale the gas in the same way as helium – which makes voices high-pitched.
Home Office figures collected in 2013 showed that around 460,000 people between the ages of 16 and 24 used the drug that year. Possession of nitrous oxide is legal in the US.
What is hippy crack and is it illegal?
Nitrous Oxide, better known as hippy crack was first synthesised in 1772, had been used for centuries as a pain killer by dentists and doctors during childbirth.
As well as medicine, Nitrous Oxide can be used by ‘boy racers’ to dramatically increase the horsepower of their cars.
The use of Nitrous Oxide as a ‘legal high’ was outlawed under the Psychoactive Substances Act which came into force in May 2016.
Party and festival goers are more interested in its ‘euphoric’ effects, file photograph
Party and festival goers are more interested in its ‘euphoric’ effects
Sellers of ‘hippy crack’ for recreational use were warned they faced up to seven years in prison under a Government crackdown on legal highs
The Psychoactive Substances Act banned any substance that can affect a person’s mental functioning or emotional state by stimulating or depressing their central nervous system.
Some substances – including caffeine, alcohol, prescribed medicines, tobacco and chocolate – are exempt from the ban.
The two key tests for prosecutors is whether it has ‘psychoactive’ effect and secondly if it exempted for medical reasons.