Mother's plea over cocaine death

Kelly-Anne Brittain died in hospital four days after she collapsed

The parents of a woman who collapsed having sex with her boyfriend after they took cocaine are angry he will not answer questions about her death.

Kelly-Anne Brittain, 27, of Pontardawe, died of brain damage from a cardiac arrest four days later in hospital.

Her mother Patsy Clancy said her family could not move on after her boyfriend Marcus Bradford refused to answer questions at her inquest on Thursday.

Coroner Dr David Osborne recorded a verdict of misadventure.

Home office pathologist Dr Derek James told the hearing that cocaine abuse was the most common cause of cardiac arrest in young people.

He said the class A drug could affect the electrical system in the heart.

Marcus Bradford still refuses to answer questions about what happened so Kelly-Anne's family cannot get closure Patsy Clancy, mother

He said after Miss Brittain collapsed she suffered "severe damage" to the brain because of a lack of oxygen.

Detective constable David Butt told the hearing that on the evening of 6 July last year Miss Brittain and Mr Bradford went to the Revolution nightclub in Swansea where they bought 3.5 grammes of cocaine for £150.

They spent the night at his flat at Dyfatty before going to her home in Pontardawe in the morning.

There, they finished off most of the drug and while having sex she collapsed.

Mr Bradford sent a text message to his friend Jonathon May in Llanelli urging him to contact him, the inquest was told.

The couple had been to a Swansea nightclub the night before she collapsed

He then told Mr May that Miss Brittain was unconscious.

The inquest heard it was only then he contacted the emergency services.

Miss Brittain was taken to Swansea's Morriston Hospital but never regained consciousness and died on 11 July.

Mr Bradford was arrested on suspicion of supplying her with cocaine but during several police interviews refused to answer questions about the events leading to his girlfriend's death.

DC Butt said there was no suggestion the drugs were forced on Miss Brittain, a sports science graduate, who worked for a Toyota car dealership in Swansea.

"The deceased was a recreational cocaine user and had been for a number of years," he said.

"Her friends described her as a happy broad minded person who was a regular night club goer.

"The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the file and were of the opinion it was not in the public interest to prosecute Mr Bradford."

Kelly-Anne Brittain's parents say they 'cannot move on'

Giving evidence, Mr Bradford confirmed that he was Miss Brittain's boyfriend and that they had been seeing each other for seven years.

But he refused to answer any further questions from either the coroner or legal representatives acting for Miss Brittain's family.

Recording a verdict of misadventure Dr Osborne said: "I'm conscious of the fact that there are questions that the family would have wished answered in the way Marcus Bradford sought help following the collapse of Kelly-Anne Brittain.

"However Mr Bradford was within his rights to refuse to answer these questions on the grounds that he may have been criminally implicated."

Speaking after the hearing Mrs Clancy said her daughter was a "very special child".

"Today it is 62 weeks since our daughter collapsed. Marcus Bradford still refuses to answer questions about what happened so Kelly-Anne's family cannot get closure."

She said he had never explained why he sent a friend a text message before calling the emergency services or how long it was before this happened that her daughter collapsed.