Peaches Geldof was a heroin addict, inquest hears
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Peaches Geldof was a heroin addict, inquest hears

PEACHES Geldof died of a heroin overdose, a coroner ruled this morning.

An inquest has heard that the 25-year-old daughter of Bob Geldof had been a heroin addict.

She had also been taking the substitute drug methadone for two-and-a-half years before her death last April.

The inquest heard how police found 6.9g of heroin in her house following her death but there was no indication that she had planned to take her own life.

The former TV presenter had started using the drug again in February having previously given it up in November.

Her husband Tom Cohen, a musician, appeared at the hearing in Gravesend and said that he had seen her flushing drugs she had hidden in their home down the toilet.

The inquest also heard how traces of codeine, methadone and morphine were also found in her blood, with a pathologist adding that the levels of heroin in her body were in a "fatal range".

The coroner said he believed she had lost the tolerance she had previously built up, therefore the purity of the heroin found in her house had a fatal impact.

Mr Cohen found Peaches slumped on the bed at their home in Kent after becoming concerned when she failed to answer the phone.

He had been away for the weekend with the elder of their two sons, Astala, leaving Geldof at home with their 11-month old son, Phaedra.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. At the time, police described the death as "sudden and unexplained".

At this morning’s inquest, Mr Cohen replied “yes” when asked by Coroner Roger Hatch whether his wife had been a heroin addict.

Mr Cohen added: “I found her in the spare bedroom. We both used it when the kids were sleeping.

DCI Paul Fotheringham of Kent Police then detailed the evidence outlining the final moments of Peache’ life.

He told how she was discovered wearing a grey dress and long-sleeved striped top. Drug paraphernalia, including a capped syringe, tights, spoons and resin from heroin were all recovered from the scene.

Police also found a bag containing 6.9g of heroin. Other suspicious items found at the scene included cotton wool, burnt spoons and citric acid, DCI Fotheringham said.

On the purity of the heroin found in the house, he concluded it was of high grade at around 61 per cent, and worth somewhere between £350 and £500.

Following the inquest, Kent Police released the following report from Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fotheringham regarding the cause of Peaches Geldof's death.

It read: "It has been established that Peaches Geldof-Cohen had been previously addicted to heroin for a number of years but that more recently had ceased taking the drug. Peaches had been supported by drug treatment workers for 2 ½ years being prescribed methadone.

"Peaches had indicated her desire to come off of methadone completely, and was following a plan to reduce the level of methadone she was taking. A drugs test in November indicated that she was not taking any illicit drug.

"Witnesses report that around February of this year there was a suspicion that Peaches had started using illicit drugs again including being found with a substance believed to be heroin at her home address. Following her death, drugs paraphernalia was found in the house and a quantity of high grade Heroin was found to be secreted in a cupboard in the bedroom Peaches regularly used.

"The Post Mortem found evidence of recent puncture marks on the inside of both elbows and on her left hand; the toxicology indicates a fatal level of heroin in the body. The Pathologist states cause of death to be Opiate Intoxication.

"When considering all of the above information, I, as the Senior Investigating Officer, conclude that Peaches Geldof-Cohen died of a heroin overdose.

"From known contact between Peaches and her family and friends her death occurred at or after 8:00pm on the evening of Sunday 4th April 2014 and from evidence available she was at her home address alone with her son Phaedra.

"There is no indication that any other third party was present or involved in her death and there is no indication that Peaches intended to take her own life or harm herself in any way as she was reported to be of happy disposition and planning for the future with friends and family."

Geldof's mother, Paula Yates, died of a heroin overdose at the age of 41.