Inquest into the death of Ronnie Beasley

40y · Male·ischaemic heart disease due to left ventricular hypertrophy and coronary artery atherosclerosis

A 40-year-old Aboriginal man with longstanding rheumatic heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, and coronary artery atherosclerosis died from acute myocardial infarction complicated by ventricular fibrillation while in custody. He reported chest pain at 11:04 PM and received oxygen, aspirin, and GTN by paramedics who arrived at 11:40 PM. He arrested during transport and could not be resuscitated. The coroner found care appropriate but identified procedural improvements: officers should have used portable radios to summon help without delay, brought oxygen/wheelchair to the patient rather than assisting him to walk to the post. These delays were unlikely to have altered outcome given his advanced coronary disease. Death was from natural causes.