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Radio 1 DJ died after gay bondage session
Jack Lefley, Evening Standard3 Jun 2008
Former Radio 1 DJ Kevin Greening died following a marathon drug-fuelled bondage session, an inquest heard today.
The 44-year-old took a cocktail of ecstasy, cocaine and date-rape drug GHB before being suspended in a leather sling hanging from scaffold poles for sex games, Westminster coroner's court was told.
He had been to a gay club night with his boyfriend, Sean Griffin, before returning to the civil servant's flat in Battersea Church Road.
It was there police found drugs and bondage equipment that was described at the inquest.
Coroner Dr Paul Knapman warned the court it would hear evidence of "unusual or deviant" behaviour as he listed what was found.
The list included a leather mask, black wellington and army boots, leather boxing gloves, a rubber suit, a black leather mask, a dog collar, gaffer tape, cling film and leather wrist straps.
Police photographs, which were not made public, showed the sling suspended by metal chains attached to hooks on galvanised poles arranged at the four corners of a bed.
Mr Griffin, 51, broke down as he gave evidence of events on the night before Greening's death on 29 December last year. The pair took drugs before going to the XXL Club in Southwark and changing into leather gear. Afterwards, they changed back into their clothes and caught a cab to Mr Griffin's flat, arriving at about 5.30am.
After sleeping until about 11am, the pair launched into a four-hour sex and drugs session in which Greening wore a rubber suit, leather mask and climbed into the swing. He also had cling film and gaffer tape wrapped around his lower body. Mr Griffin said that towards the end of the session he thought Greening looked "tired" and "affected by the drugs" and took him down from the sling and laid him out on a duvet. He then fell asleep next to him but woke later and became concerned for his boyfriend.
Mr Griffin dragged Greening into the front room and dialled 999 shortly before 8pm. Paramedics arrived and alerted police. Greening was declared dead shortly afterwards.
Mr Griffin said: "Kevin and I had a happy and a vigorous sex life. We had done this on previous occasions. We had a loving relationship, it might not have been considered conventional but we enjoyed it very much. It was a catastrophic night."
Pathologist Dr Nathaniel Carey said Greening died from "mixed drugs toxicity" and that there was no evidence of "strangulation" or "compression" of the neck.
Recording a verdict of misadventure, Dr Knapman said: "After getting back from the club, during a considerable time after and by agreement and totally consensual, they indulged in unusual behaviour. This involved various pieces of equipment and the taking of various drugs."
Greening worked with Zoë Ball on Radio 1's flagship breakfast show from 1997 to 1998. He was working at Smooth Radio when he died.
