Heroin tragedy (From Warrington Guardian)

Heroin tragedy

A VULNERABLE teenager from Crewe died of a heroin overdose after social services housed her with her boyfriend, who was a known drug addict.

Charlene Marie Nolan, aged 17, died at Siddington Close, Leftwich on July 15, just hours after injecting the drug she had bought with her boyfriend Matthew Hodson that morning.

A Crewe inquest into her death on Friday heard Matthew, who had also injected himself, found her collapsed in a bedroom but was unable to revive her.

The inquest heard Charlene had a drink and drugs problem and had lived in a series of hostels and foster homes after leaving home in 2003.

She met Matthew when she was living at Cotswold House in Crewe.

Six months later, because the couple wanted to be together, social services agreed to let her move in with him, even though they knew he was an addict.

Coroner Nicolas Rheinberg said it was probable that Charlene had only experimented with heroin because she was allowed to live with a drug user.

He said: "It was hardly an ideal placement. What worries me is Charlene was forced into the company of a known heroin user.

"I can hardly imagine a worse place for her."

Matthew Hodson told the inquest on the morning of July 15 the couple had bought two bags of heroin on the Leftwich estate from a dealer they had used before.

He said: "We got home and had a hit each. She seemed to be out of it like she usually was. My brother came in later at about 11pm. We had a bit of an argument. I fell asleep.

"I went upstairs at around 3am, she was on the bed. I couldn't revive her. I didn't inject her the last time she took it, she injected herself."

Matthew said to Charlene's parents: "I'm sorry you lost your daughter but I did not kill her, I did not kill her."

Charlene's father Andrew Nolan, of Claughton Avenue, Crewe, said: "Who was looking after this child?

"I was in prison. Who checked the address of where she was going to live?"

Social worker Cathy Burrows said: "We were aware of Matthew's drug habit and that was something her mum addressed with me and Charlene, but it was decided she could move.

"We were aware wherever she was she would be seeing Matthew and after she moved there she seemed a bit more co-operative."

Coroner Mr Rheinberg delivered a verdict of death by misadventure.