Deceased
Constance Ann Burrett
Demographics
38y, female
Date of death
2019-09-08
Finding date
2021-04-06
Cause of death
Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy due to cardiorespiratory arrest caused by mixed drug toxicity (heroin and methylamphetamine overdose)
AI-generated summary
Constance Burrett, 38, died from mixed drug toxicity (heroin and methylamphetamine overdose) causing hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and cardiorespiratory arrest. The coroner found it more likely than not that her partner Justin Witsen injected her with heroin at her request, after she had difficulty self-injecting due to poor venous access. She had longstanding intravenous drug use and depression. Clinically, this case highlights: (1) the vulnerability of patients with difficult venous access to rely on others for drug administration; (2) the potent combined effects of heroin and methamphetamine; (3) risk stratification in patients with substance use disorder and mental health comorbidities; and (4) recognition that even experienced users can misjudge lethal doses. There was no indication of medical system failure—this was a community-based accidental overdose.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
58y · Male·Gunshot injury to the abdomen
David Gray, 58, deliberately induced police to shoot him as a means of suicide following undisclosed mental health deterioration. On 22 September 2023, he called police anonymously reporting an armed person, then present…
93y · Male·Complications of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp
Donald Morley, aged 93, died at Claire Holland House hospice on 12 July 2024 while serving a nine-year sentence for murder. He was under 24/7 custodial supervision. The cause of death was complications of invasive squamo…
44y · Female·Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy complicating cardiac arrest in the setting of p…
Elizabeth Ferris, a 44-year-old woman with schizoaffective disorder and polysubstance use disorder, died from hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy following cardiac arrest in the setting of presumed drug toxicity. She was fo…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction —