Coroner's Finding: Linklater, Brian Gary
Deceased
Brian Gary Linklater
Demographics
50y, male
Date of death
2020-10-06
Finding date
2022-08-03
Cause of death
mixed drug and alcohol toxicity (pentobarbitone and ethanol)
AI-generated summary
Brian Gary Linklater, aged 50, died from mixed drug and alcohol toxicity after intentionally injecting pentobarbitone (a barbiturate used in veterinary practice) obtained from his partner's vehicle and consuming vodka. He had a history of mental health difficulties and a prior suicide attempt. The pentobarbitone was stored in a refrigerator in his partner's vehicle, which did not comply with regulatory requirements for schedule 4 drugs. The coroner highlighted that pentobarbitone has been used in multiple Australian suicides, all sourced from veterinary practices. The finding recommends up-scheduling injectable pentobarbitone from schedule 4 to schedule 8 under the Poisons Standard and ensuring veterinary practitioners store it according to schedule 8 requirements, including secure locking when away from the practice and not leaving it unattended in vehicles.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Contributing factors
- storage of pentobarbitone in vehicle refrigerator without secure locking
- accessibility of pentobarbitone to deceased
- untreated mental health problems
- history of prior suicide attempt
- alcohol consumption
- inadequate regulatory compliance for schedule 4 drug storage
Coroner's recommendations
- Pentobarbitone in injectable form be up-scheduled from schedule 4 to schedule 8 under the Poisons Standard
- Pentobarbitone in injectable form be stored by veterinary practices and veterinary practitioners in accordance with requirements applicable to schedule 8 drugs
Full text
Related cases
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 —