Norfolk grandad died after drinking 97% moonshine

A man who died after drinking shots of moonshine that was nearly pure alcohol with a friend had been “egged on”, an inquest heard.

Karl Edgeller, 57, died on 3 March 2024 at a property on Hereward Way in Weeting, Norfolk.

Two men had previously been arrested in relation to the incident, but police said “all lines of inquiry have now been exhausted pending any new information coming forward”.

Coroner Jacqueline Lake, at Norfolk Coroner’s Court, concluded that his death was a result of misadventure.

The court heard that Mr Edgeller and his partner, Sharon Willoughby, had gone to visit their mutual friend, Paul Johnson, who brought out a bottle of clear liquid that he identified as moonshine.

In a statement, Mr Johnson said it had been given to him by a colleague.

The liquid was 97% ethanol and had been imported to England from Estonia, the court was told.

Mr Johnson said he and Mr Edgeller had taken “at least four shots” of the moonshine.

Ms Willoughby told the court that the pair had been “challenging” each other.

When Mr Johnson was given the moonshine, the court heard that the unnamed colleague had instructed him to dilute it.

Ms Willoughby said that she left Mr Edgeller and Mr Johnson in the room “in good spirits”.

She returned at approximately 16:00 GMT, where she found the pair asleep and “snoring”.

At 17:30, she returned for a second time with a friend, who she spent the following hours with in another room, the court heard.

As she went to go home, Ms Willoughby said she checked on Mr Edgeller and found him “unresponsive.”

Pathologist Benjamin Swift noted that he had been asleep, slumped over a coffee table, which the court heard left “potential for positional asphyxia”.

Mr Edgeller was pronounced dead at the scene.

The court heard that Mr Edgeller had sleep apnoea, which meant he would usually use a CPAP machine to push air into his lungs when he slept.

A toxicology report read to the court showed he had a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal drink-drive limit.

He also had small amounts of duloxetine, which he was prescribed for depression, in his system.

GP records read to the court highlighted his history of mental health issues.

Ms Willoughby told the court that Mr Edgeller had reduced his alcohol consumption “considerably” in the weeks leading up to his death.

Mr Edgeller’s daughter, Karlynn West, said her father was “a fantastic man and a brilliant dad”.

In her conclusion, Ms Lake told the court that Mr Edgeller and Mr Johnson had “egged each other on”.

“He was responsible for his own wellbeing,” she said.

“Both struggled to keep the liquid down. He drank the alcohol knowing it was strong.”

His medical cause of death was recorded as alcohol and duloxetine co-toxicity, together with positional asphyxia and sleep apnoea.