Deceased
Elizabeth Susan Edwina Ferris
Demographics
44y, female
Coroner
Coroner Simon McGregor
Date of death
2022-11-26
Finding date
2026-05-07
Cause of death
Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy complicating cardiac arrest in the setting of presumed drug toxicity
AI-generated summary
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 found unconscious in the street after an apparent overdose involving multiple substances (opioids, benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, and others). She was resuscitated but suffered severe irreversible brain injury and died 16 days later. The coroner found no direct causal link between her death and police responses to family violence incidents, though noted Victoria Police missed opportunities to better protect her from an abusive partner through proper predominant aggressor identification and risk assessment. The case highlights the vulnerability of marginalized individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders to both intimate partner violence and fatal overdose, and the importance of nuanced, bias-aware policing responses.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Procedures
25y · Male·Combined drug toxicity
Harrison William Ladd, 25, died from combined drug toxicity involving clonazepam, dexamphetamine, codeine, diazepam and pholcodine. He had complex mental health and substance use disorder requiring specialist addiction c…
23y · Female·Injuries sustained in a fall from a height
Jacqueline Pringle, 23, died from injuries sustained in a fall from the 60th floor of an apartment after consuming alcohol and MDMA at Crown Casino. She had a complex psychiatric history including major depression, anxie…
34y · Female·Combined drug toxicity (gabapentin, oxycodone, tramadol, diazepam, citalopram, d…
A 34-year-old woman with complex medical history including chronic pain, sleep disorder, anxiety and PTSD died from combined drug toxicity involving gabapentin, oxycodone, tramadol, diazepam, citalopram, desmethylvenlafa…
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