Jeni Larmour inquest: Video shows student was 'not pressured into taking drugs' before tragic death

Jeni Larmour, 18, from Newtonhamilton, Northern Ireland, died hours after arriving at Newcastle University in October 2020 She took a lethal combination of alcohol and ketamine, a tranquilliser she sniffed with new flatmate Kavir Kalliecharan, Newcastle Coroner's Court has heard.

Mr Kalliecharan, now 20, from Leeds, was not charged with supplying the ketamine and he told police that it was Ms Larmour's. Specialist search officers using police dogs searched the flat in Park View halls and officers found ketamine, cannabis and MDMA in his room, but he claimed the ketamine was not his.

The inquest was told no other drugs were found in any of the student rooms in the flat, including none in Ms Larmour's room. Ms Larmour had filmed a Snapchat video on her mobile phone which was not shown in open court, but which witnesses have seen, showing her in Mr Kalliecharan's bedroom, with a white powder on a table.

Andrew Metcalfe, then an acting detective sergeant with Northumbria Police, confirmed that the video showed there was no evidence of either Ms Larmour or Mr Kalliecharan coercing or pressuring the other to take drugs.

In evidence on Tuesday, Mr Kalliecharan claimed he was rendered sick by the drug and vomited for hours before falling asleep, and woke to found Ms Larmour lifeless, lying face down on his bedroom floor at around 5am.

He told the inquest he felt “guilt” over what happened to Ms Larmour. He explained, not in the criminal sense but "moral responsibility".

Lucy Backhurst, the university's academic registrar and director of student services, addressed Ms Larmour's parents David and Sandra at the start of her evidence.

She said: "Jeni was just the sort of bright, able student we want studying with us at Newcastle University." Ms Backhurst said her chosen course, urban planning and architecture, was hard to get onto and "not for the faint-hearted".

She said the university had an compulsory online induction programme with information about drink and drugs for new students. But the messaging was not easy, she admitted, and following the tragedy of Ms Larmour's death there was a backlash when the Vice-Chancellor emailed students a "stark" warning about the risks of drink and drugs.

Ms Backhurst said: "We got an awful lot of kick-back from students (saying) 'Who do you think you are telling us what to do'?" She added: "It's a balance.

"Students need to be aware of the risks, dangers and signs, and we have done an awful lot before 2020 and subsequently to try to raise awareness."

On Tuesday, the inquest heard that Mr Kalliecharan had told Ms Larmour before they took the drugs: "This is how we do it in England."

Immediately after her death he told flatmates he felt it was his "fault", explaining at the inquest he felt "guilt", not in a criminal sense, but "moral responsibility". Coroner Karen Dilks was expected to give her conclusion later on Wednesday.