“She was the life and soul of the family.”
A young mother of five children tragically died after taking cocaine and frantically trying to pull her teeth out.
Kiera Kent, 29, died at her home near Cornwall last year, despite the help of paramedics who attended the scene.
Following an inquest into her death, it has been ruled that Kiera died after taking cocaine and putting her hand into her mouth to try and remove wisdom teeth which had been causing her agonising pain.
Kiera’s partner, Liam Crabtree, called the police after becoming worried for her welfare.
He explained to police that they had people over for a barbecue and had taken cocaine. Later on Kiera went upstairs and when she didn’t return her boyfriend became concerned.
It is then that he went upstairs and discovered Kiera with her head on the pillow covered in blood. It is believed that Kiera had been trying to pull out her teeth using her hands, causing significant injury to both her hands and mouth.
When her boyfriend attempted to subdue her, Kiera attempted to pick up a razor blade and put that into her mouth too.
It is at this moment, Crabtree called the police and told the operator his partner was trying to pull her teeth out.
Police arrived and requested an ambulance, however there was a considerable wait time.
PCs Gould and Henderson handcuffed Kiera’s hands in front of her in an effort to protect her. Shortly afterwards Kiera stopped breathing and the responding officers attempted CPR on her for 30 minutes.
Concluding the inquest, assistant coroner for Cornwall Guy Davies said that after taking cocaine Kiera’s behaviour became ‘bizarre and concerning’.
He said: “PCs Gould and Henderson found Kiera in a highly distressed condition, covered in blood, her hands injured and redraw after being thrust into her mouth. The officers endeavoured to restrain Kiera but during the process, she stopped breathing.
“CPR was commenced by the officers who summoned assistance and a defibrillator before paramedics arrived and determined Kiera dead at the scene. The two officers fought valiantly to try and save her life.”
Mr Davies explained that although Kiera’s cocaine level was not in the toxic range, it is possible that it can cause death by creating an electrolyte/chemical imbalance.
Mr Davies said that the cocaine accounted for the medical episode that caused Kiera’s death, recording a conclusion of a drug-related death.
Mr Davies offered his condolences to Kiera’s family and expressed his thanks to PCs Gould and Henderson for their heroic efforts.
Following her death, Kiera’s family paid tribute to her describing her as the life and soul of the family.
They added that she was: “Such a loving person to all who knew her.”
