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Cab driver dies after drinking liquid cocaine concealed in rum bottle
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent05.06.09
A minicab driver died after drinking concentrated liquid cocaine which had been disguised as a bottle of rum a friend had innocently given him.
Father of two Lascelle Malcolm, 63, drank the lethal mix, not realising what it contained.
Mr Malcom collapsed at his Tottenham home and was admitted to the Whittington Hospital suffering severe chest pains on 26 May.
He was discharged but within an hour of arriving home he suffered a heart attack and died.
Hospital authorities called in police who found that the bottle of Caribbean rum was in fact pure liquid cocaine, a substance intended by drug smugglers to evaporate back into powder form.
Experts told police that even a teaspoon of the liquid could be lethal. The bottle had been taken through customs by an innocent holidaymaker who was returning to the UK from the Caribbean island of St Lucia.
An inquest at Hornsey Coroners Court heard it had been handed to the woman at the St Lucia airport by another passenger who told her he had exceeded his duty-free allowance. She agreed to carry it through customs but when the flight landed she could not find the passenger so gave the bottle to a friend who in turn passed it to Mr Malcolm as a gift.
On the day Mr Malcom was poisoned and in hospital, his 40-year-old nephew and a family friend went to his flat in Rutland Gardens to check it was secure. They noticed an open bottle of rum and each took a drink. Within minutes they too collapsed with stomach seizures and went to hospital in a critical condition. Both have now been discharged.
Mr Malcolm had drunk a significant amount of the liquid but had not noticed anything was wrong because he had drunk it with a mixer and the taste was disguised.
His nephew and a friend had spat out most of the drink because of the taste after drinking it neat.
Flowers have been left outside the Hornsey cab office where Mr Malcolm worked for more than 20 years. Burt Burgess, 52, who owns the office, said: “He was a genuine person. He was happy, smiling and just a really nice guy.”
Scotland Yard detectives are now liaising with customs officials and Interpol. The authorities in St Lucia are trying to establish who created the rum bottle which sources say appeared extremely authentic.
A 49-year-old man appeared at Enfield magistrates' court yesterday charged with importing cocaine and manslaughter.
Reader views (10)
My heart goes out to the family of the decease." Be encouraged." This is really sad, indeed.
- Albert, Castries
i cannot believe that people would actually make this. i am so disappointed to hear this coming from my island. and for a small island like this to have so "masterminds" to create the disgusting liquid is unbelievable
- Krystal, St.Lucia
I feel we only learn by our mistakes, no one would believe that anyone would tamper with a rum bottle. It is very sad, it is a pitty they could not find the person who had asked the woman to take it on the plane as that person was well aware and part of the deceat. I am saddened to learn that a person had to die before this came to light.
- Moreen Palmer, London, England
I am sorry for the family of the deceased, and the poor woman who carried the bottle. But the moral of this story, DO NOT carry anything for anyone.If the woman had been stopped by customs she could have found herself being charged with the importation of cocaine. When customs ask you did you pack your case yourself and are you carrying anything for anyone else and you say no you are taking a major risk with your own freedom and the lives of others.
- Pinkstar, LONDON
In one of my previous incarnations: as a Coroner's Officer at the West London Coroner's court, I dealt with two identical incidents in the space of one year, both involving rum bottles from the West Indies. Moral: don't judge books by covers; when in doubt, just take a very small sip, not a swallow. Cocaine is extremely bitter, so you'll know pretty damned quick. A big swig is going to make any redress too late. My sincere condolences to Susan, who has lost a loved one.
- John Neighbour, London.
unbelievable---security should be checked as i fly frequently and with security sooo stringent how in the heck did he get the bottle on board? i had a bottle of scottish marmalade taken from my bag which was sealed and bought from the tourist board store in glasgow so how does a bottle of morphine get thr??? sheeesh1 someone should be losing their job!!
- Beverley Ward, dartmouth, nova scotia, canada
Doesn't say much about the passenger and baggage screening at that island's airport.
- Cuddly Duddly, Cuffley, UK
I am the Mother in Law of the 40 year old put in hospital by this and I am just very glad that he is alive to tell the tale. I hope that they can trace this back and find out the source in case other bottles are circulating and it could happen to somebody else.
- Mrs Susan Thompson, Hatfield, England
How did it get on the plane? You can't take liquid on board nowadays, and they hand you your duty-free purchases at the gate
- Jenny, san francisco ca ( ex-londoner)
How many times are people told NOT to accept goods from strangers to carry on board a flight, under ANY circumstances? What a stupid woman. And now look what's happened?!
- Nik, London
