Sheffield student found in petrol station toilet near Bramall Lane died from ‘speedballing’

Andrew Cross, aged 22, was discovered unresponsive inside the BP petrol station on Bramall Lane by two staff members at around 3am on 4 January after ‘speedballing’ – the practice of taking heroin and cocaine together.

He was taken to the Northern General Hospital but died that afternoon. His cause of death was attributed to the heroin and cocaine he had taken in the hours before he died.

Andrew, from York, was a student in the city who had "a history of depression” and had previously accidentally overdosed on heroin and cocaine twice in the three months prior to his death. Following an overdose on 3 December, he told a GP he was not suicidal. A report submitted to the inquest by Sheffield Health and Social Care said Andrew had “a long history of drug misuse”. After an appointment with their services on 19 December, he didn’t reply to follow-up communications.

A practitioner at Sheffield Health and Social Care said Andrew “displayed evidence of low self-esteem and identity”, and “didn’t appear to have developed a network of social peers”.

A police report said contacts for two drug lines were discovered on his phone but officers were unable to identify who he had bought drugs from. No evidence was discovered to suggest he planned to take his own life.

Katy Dickinson, the coroner, recorded a verdict of a “drug-related death”.