Man, 23, dies from brain damage caused by cocaine

A 23-year-old man died from brain damage caused by his repeated abuse of cocaine. Jonathan Black, a bricklayer from Croesyceiliog in Cwmbran, was confirmed dead on March 12 last year at the Grange hospital, his inquest at Gwent coroner's court heard. Coroner Caroline Saunders said Mr Black had "a significant history of substance misuse, including alcohol, cocaine and illicit valium". His GP had advised him to get help from Gwent Drug and Alcohol Service but he "showed no inclination to reduce his drug and alcohol use", according to the coroner. "On February 25, 2025, Jonathan was staying at his friend’s house where he took some valium and drank alcohol," said Ms Saunders. "It is not clear whether he took any other drugs at this point. "The following day he was found unresponsive. Paramedics were called and discovered that Jonathan was in cardiac arrest. They managed to revive him and conveyed him to hospital." Tests showed Mr Black had suffered a brain haemorrhage. While in intensive care his brain damage worsened and on March 12 he was declared dead. Ms Saunders said the nature of the bleeding was in keeping with drug use, particularly cocaine. Although the post-mortem did not find cocaine in Mr Black's blood, the coroner concluded his brain haemorrhage had been caused by "regular cocaine use". Recording a conclusion of drug-related death, Ms Saunders said: "Whilst pneumonia contributed to his death, Jonathan died from brain damage caused by his ongoing use of cocaine." The number of cocaine-related deaths in Wales and England has increased for 13 consecutive years, rising from 1,118 in 2023 to 1,279 in 2024. Adam Thompson, head of drugs threat at the National Crime Agency, recently told the Independent that over the last decade a cocaine production boom in South America has led to a sharp increase in the purity of the Class A powder sold at street level in the UK, meaning a higher chance of overdose. He said: “UK law enforcement has held the line but without a reduction in demand from users, stemming the supply of cocaine will be a continuing battle.” Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice .