Alcohol, GHB and Xanax behind Saudi Prince's death in London hotel; reveals inquest
A London coroner's court has concluded that a Saudi prince who was found dead in a luxury hotel in the UK last year died after
A London coroner's court has concluded that a Saudi prince who was found dead in a luxury hotel in the UK last year died after suffering a cardiac arrest caused by a combination of alcohol and drugs. According to a report by The Telegraph UK, an inquest at the Inner West London Coroner's Court heard that Prince Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi al Saud, a member of Saudi Arabia's ruling family, had alcohol, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), cannabis and the anti-anxiety medication Xanax in his system at the time of his death. The 29-year-old prince was found dead in the bathroom of his room at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington, West London, on November 25 last year.
He had been staying in a room reportedly costing around 600 euros per night. Also Read | Ramayana trailer launch postponed as Ranbir Kapoor, Yash reach Comic Con Inquest details treatment for addiction The inquest heard that Prince Abdullah had been struggling with alcohol and Xanax use before his death. According to The Telegraph UK, he was admitted to the Priory Clinic in Roehampton, London, about three months earlier, where he underwent detoxification from alcohol, benzodiazepines and the anti-anxiety drug pregabalin. A stay at the clinic can reportedly cost up to 35,000 euros a week. After completing treatment there, he sought further care at Rainford Hall, a private rehabilitation clinic in Merseyside that reportedly charges around 7,000 euros a week.
During his stay, he was also diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection before being discharged on October 14. Also Read | CJP Protest LIVE: HC allows withdrawal of PIL seeking NIA probe into Parl march The prince checked into the Marriott Hotel on November 19 for what was intended to be a week-long stay. CCTV footage showed him leaving the hotel to smoke on the evening before his death, according to the report. No evidence of suicide or foul play The inquest heard that a hotel cleaner found Prince Abdullah lying fully clothed on the bathroom floor of his locked fifth-floor room. Emergency responders attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful.
Toxicology tests presented during the hearing found his blood ethanol concentration measured 222 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood—almost three times the UK's legal drink-drive limit of 80 mg per 100 ml. The analysis also detected potentially fatal levels of GHB, commonly known as a "party drug", along with traces of cannabis, alprazolam (Xanax) and other anti-anxiety medications. Also Read | CJP Protest LIVE: HC allows withdrawal of PIL seeking NIA probe into Parl march A postmortem examination concluded that the prince suffered a cardiac arrest triggered by the combined effects of alcohol and drugs.
The BriefWire