A YOUNG man died from a drug overdose after taking synthetic opioids and animal tranquilizer with someone he had never met before, an inquest heard.
Sammy Abuown, 24, travelled to Colchester from Ipswich and met another man outside the Playhouse in St John’s Street before the two went to an address in Greenstead Road on January 7.
An inquest into Mr Abuown’s death heard the two men took cocaine before Mr Abuown then took another substance.
The other male discovered Mr Abuown – who had a previous medical history of ADHD, anxiety, and depression – the following morning with “foam and some spit around his face”, a coroner said.
Paramedics were called and found Mr Abuown before confirming his death at 9.55am that day.
The coroner said a post-mortem examination found a variety of drugs in Mr Abuown’s bloodstream, including, cychlorphine, medetomidine, and cocaine.
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Cychlorphine is a synthetic opioid and medetomidine is is used as a veterinary sedative.
Coroner Michelle Brown told Essex Coroner’s Court the synthetic opioid is “much more potent than morphine”, adding “little information is known about its concentration in fatalities”.
The drugs were seized by police the same day officers attended the scene.
Mrs Brown continued: “There is evidence for the use of medetomidine – it is a veterinary anaesthetic drug found in preparation with illicit substances, particularly synthetic opioids and heroin.
“Using that together with cychlorphine may encourage the effects of respiratory sedation.
“They didn’t know each other, went to the address, took drugs, and did not know where the drugs emanated from.
“Police were involved because of the synthetic opioid.”
The coroner added: “There is nothing to suggest in the death that this was intentional.
“It was, sadly, as is the risk when you take drugs... it is very difficult to know what is in there.”
The coroner gave a conclusion of a drug-related death.
She said: “Sammy Abuown, from Ipswich, died on January 8, 2026, at Greenstead Road, Colchester, due to mixed drug toxicity which is cychlorphine, N-propionitrile, medetomidine, and cocaine.”
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