Nigel Bom was found dead in a New Brighton housing complex on 30 March, 2021. Photo: Supplied
Police failings are partly to blame for difficulties in determining the final movements of a Christchurch man who lay dead in his bed for days, a coroner says.
Nigel Bom was found face down under a blanket at his unit in a New Brighton housing complex on 30 March, 2021.
Family members questioned whether someone had given the 37-year-old a morphine "hot shot" - a lethal injection of the drug - but in findings released on Friday coroner Rachael Schmidt-McCleave ruled Bom died from methamphetamine toxicity with underlying epilepsy.
A four-day inquest was held in May but the coroner could not determine who last saw Bom alive or exactly when he died.
"Unfortunately, my difficulty in being able to definitively determine these questions arose in part because of failings in the initial police investigation to obtain statements on the day Nigel was found from those residents of nearby units," she said.
"Had such statements been taken on, or close to, the day Nigel was found, it would have been clearer who the last people were to have seen Nigel alive and, therefore, to determine when he was likely to have died."
Rumours of third parties being involved in Bom's death and him being forcibly injected with drugs appeared to have circulated in Christchurch early in the police investigation, Schmidt-McCleave said.
"To their undoubted distress, members of Nigel's family were told this on several occasions by acquaintances," she said.
"Police investigated those rumours, including following up on a dashcam audio recording of two people discussing Nigel's death and that he was administered a hot shot of morphine. Evidence was given and tested at the inquest in relation to these allegations."
No trace of morphine was found in Bom's system.
"I am satisfied that there is insufficient evidence before me to allow me to reach a conclusion that any third party was involved in Nigel's death," Schmidt-McCleave said.
"The scene of Nigel's death was not consistent with him having died immediately after injection by a third party."
Coroner Rachael Schmidt-McCleave ruled Nigel Bom died from methamphetamine toxicity with underlying epilepsy. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Sister disputes coroner's findings
Bom's sister Krystal Martin said she did not believe Bom was alone when he died and felt crushed by the coroner's finding.
"We were shocked - very shocked. We were not expecting the outcome to be like that," she said.
Martin said she would seek legal advice and was considering laying a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
"He was failed by police from the moment they walked in. They didn't do their job. That's what crushed us the most. He didn't deserve this," she said.
"He's been failed in so many ways. The police failed him, the coroner failed him, his friends failed him. I'll just be doing everything to get him justice.
"He loved his nieces and nephews, he was a good brother. He had a heart of gold, he would do anything for anybody. He was a good person."
Fear of needles
Schmidt-McCleave said there was significant evidence Bom regularly smoked methamphetamine and was asking people to inject him with drugs, possibly because of his fear of needles.
"I am unable to make a conclusive finding as to whether Nigel was injecting himself with methamphetamine or was assisted by others. The evidence satisfies me, however, that Nigel was taking methamphetamine intravenously as well as smoking it," she said.
Although Bom's death was self-inflicted, it was unintentional and did not amount to suicide, the coroner ruled.
Bom suffered from epilepsy for most of his life, a condition his family attributed to being trapped in a washing machine at the age of nine.
He was on medication but regularly suffered seizures described as severe by family and friends.
The coroner noted police documentation and recording of medication found at Bom's unit was "incomplete and inconsistent".
Detective Sergeant Andrew Owens said police accepted the coroner's findings.
"We hold ourselves to a high standard and we are committed to ensuring we do not see a repeat of this and to continuing to follow our very thorough process in relation to sudden deaths," he said, in a statement.
"Our thoughts remain with Mr Bom's family and those close to him."
Schmidt-McCleave found Bom died some time between 24 and 25 March 2021.
"It was very clear that Nigel was a mischievous but much-loved brother, uncle and son, who lived his life to the full despite his epilepsy. Nigel had a number of challenges to overcome through his life but loved his friends and family, treasured his nieces, and was a loyal family member and friend to many," she said.
The coroner made no recommendations.
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