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The independent voice of Newcastle students
Details of tragic Newcastle student death released Louise Hall Editor A coroner ruled this week that Edward (Ed) Farmer, A Newcastle University Engineering student and member of the Agriculture Society, died as a result of a hypoxic brain injury due to prolonged cardiac arrest, on 14 December 2016. The inquest into the circumstances surrounding Ed’s death was heard over a period of four days at a public hearing in the Civic Centre last week, where witnesses gave tes-
Ed Farmer had been attending an ‘initiation style’ event among 20-30 other first year students who were members of the Agricultural Society
timony to help determine the exact cause of death, and pinpoint a timeline of the evening that led up to this tragic event. It was established very early on in the hearing that Ed had been attending an ‘initiation style’ event among 20-30 other first year students who were members of the Agricultural Society. Ed’s alcohol intake was at 400mg per decilitre by the time it was assessed in the Royal Victoria Infirmary with Dr Messer, a consultant in intensive care medicine, confirming that it was at least four times over the drink drive limit. During the initiation event Farmer consumed a significant amount of alcohol, was rendered immobile and unconscious for a period of time, and eventually taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary by car where he then died on 14 December. Throughout the hearing specific details of the initiation unfolded, including that one of the main purposes of the evening was the consumption of a large amount of alcohol over a small period of time. It was said that at least 100 vodka orange trebles were purchased in two locations on the bar crawl, with the consensus between witnesses being that freshers would have consumed around 3 per person at each stop. James Carr, the Chairman of the Agricultural Society at the time of Ed’s death, confirmed that recalled how on the Facebook
Ed Farmers family read their statement outside the Civic Centre surrounded by the student witnesses Image: Louise Hall event invite, first-years were encouraged to bring a number of items including: 70cl of hard spirit, thirty pounds, a metro ticket, swimming goggles, a kinder egg and lubrication. They were also told that they should not bring their student ID, or wear anything that would associate them with either the Agricultural society or the University. At the beginning of the night, freshers were told to hand over their thirty pounds, from which drinks for the rest of the bar-crawl would be bought. Jonathan Headley, a firstyear Newcastle University student at the time and attendee at the event, recalled a “table of orange trebles” in Basement bar, from which freshers were encouraged to drink. The students were also lined up in an alleyway and ‘egged on’ to drink mouthfuls of spirits passed down the line. This was understood to be the 70cl of alcohol brought by the freshers as requested in the invitation. Over the course of the evening many students were sick. Some of the second and third-year witnesses said that until they reached Basement they did not recall seeing anyone who was in trouble from the effects of alcohol, but did acknowledge that the aim
of the event was to get the first-years drunk. Second and third-year students in attendance were what Carr called “more of a chaperoning measure.” Beginning at 8pm at the Three Bulls Head Pub and ending at 41 Sanderson Road in West Jesmond at approximately 10.30pm, the drinking portion of the evening took place over a short two-and-a-half-hour period. Other activities in the evening included eating what Carr described as “not particularly desirable food”, understood to include items such as chicken feet, raw potato, raw eggs, garlic, dog food, milk mixed with wine and a pot of cinnamon, amongst other items. Freshers were also expected to take part in “games” such as “lizard fighting”, where two students wrestle with two belts tied together and wrapped around their necks. At a house in Jesmond there was also the shaving of students’ heads, crawling through sheep hurdles, drinking vodka from a tube through a pig’s head, and apple-bobbing in a mixture of alcohol and urine. The event ended at approximately 11.30pm. Ed was incapacitated due to alcohol consumption before many of these activities took
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place, having been carried into the Metro Station at Monument “unable to walk unaided.” The coroner reported that he was “carried into the house, laid down in the hallway and placed in the recovery position.” At some point in the evening Ed’s head was shaved by
It was said that at least 100 vodka orange trebles were purchased in two locations on the bar crawl, and freshers would have consumed around 3 at each stop
a person who remains unidentified. Some of the second and third-year students stayed awake “monitoring” and “checking” first years who were unwell, including Ed. They fell asleep between 2am and 3am. At approximately 4.43am, Ed was discovered to have stopped breathing by one of the students. Henry Lindley described Ed as “quite
pale, his tongue was yellow.” No ambulance was called and Carr drove Ed to hospital in his own vehicle “in the belief this was the quickest option.” Once in hospital, Dr Messer stated that “treatment failed to improve the situation” and Ed Farmer passed away on 14 December 2016. The nature of the peer-pressure experienced at these types of initiation events was questioned heavily throughout the inquest. While witnesses claimed that there was “significant encouragement” to drink and participate, they said that no-one was “forced” to do so. One student, who was ill prior to the event on 12 December, received a text from James Carr that read “no pressure to go, but if you do not go you will regret it in some form.” Certain witnesses assured that there would be no consequences for missing the event other than “jokes”, and that it would not prevent members from advancing in the society. Attitudes towards the event from firstyear students were conflicted. Jonathan Headley reflected that he was “nervous, almost excited” Continued on page 7.