Rachel 'may not have injected drug'

The panel said it could not rule out the possibility that someone had been present when the 21-year-old student died an in bedsit in Exmouth, Devon, seven years ago.

It concluded that she died of an overdose of heroin but it was not certain whether she administered it.

Exeter Coroner Ian Arrow said: "This death clearly attracted attention because the original medical cause of death was unascertained. We now have a medical cause of death."

Rachel, a talented pianist and former Bath Spa University student, was found dead on the floor of her bedsit with a capped syringe in her hand.

Coroner Ian Arrow said many organisations had learned from the death of Miss Whitear and had modified procedures and he said he hoped it would help to promote better practices in future. He said drugs-related deaths were all too common and particularly moving involving young people who had a life ahead of them.

Answering 10 questions put to them by the coroner the jury said that Miss Whitear died from heroin intoxication, and was in the habit of injecting the drug.

She had the necessary equipment to inject heroin but they did not know whether she was in possession of the drug or whether she injected herself with it. If she did inject herself it happened at her bedsit in Pound Street in Exmouth on the evening of May 10, 2000.

If she did inject herself she did not intend to seriously injure herself, and they answered "no" to the question are you sure she intended to kill herself.

In answer to the final question, was Miss Whitear alone when she died the jury's answer was "we do not know".