Dorset Coroner hears Emiliano Sala was poisoned by carbon monoxide
The hearing into the footballer's death is ongoing
An inquest, being heard in Dorset, has been told blood tests taken from the body of footballer Emiliano Sala showed he'd been overcome by toxic levels of carbon monoxide poisoning before he died in a plane crash.
The 28 year old Argentinian striker was on a private aircraft travelling from Nantes in France to Cardiff when it went down near Guernsey.
The crash also killed 59 year old pilot David Ibbotson, whose body has never been removed.
The inquest has now resumed at Dorset Coroner's Court in Bournemouth after being halted for legal reasons last week.
Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said Sala had died from severe head and chest injuries consistent with a plane crash.
But he also revealed that prior to his death, he had been overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning and would have been "deeply unconscious" at the point of impact with the sea.
Dr Purdue said toxicological tests on samples of Sala's blood showed a carbon monoxide blood saturation level of 58%, which he described as "severe poisoning", and suggested the source was the plane's exhaust system.
Forensic examiner Katherine Baldwin told the inquest the cavity blood sample was stored in a Dorset Police freezer until it was sent off to Canada for testing.
She also confirmed the first sample had been destroyed by a forensic lab after being tested, even though it was part of an ongoing investigation.
SALA SMOKED
The hearing was also told Sala smoked between one and five cigarettes a day, with four packets of cigarettes found in his South Wales hotel room after his death.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Gedge, of Dorset Police, said:
"Mr Sala had some property in the room and there was a request from Mr Sala's agent regarding the cigarettes in his room and he was keen for that not to be disclosed to his family as he had not told them he smoked.
"We made contact with (Sala's agent) Meissa N'diaye today to confirm about Mr Sala and his smoking and he was able to tell us that Mr Sala smoked one to five cigarettes a day."
The officer also confirmed that Sala had completed a medical questionnaire as part of his transfer to Cardiff City in which he stated he did not smoke.
The inquest has heard the Piper Malibu aircraft had left Nantes airport at 7.15pm on January 21 for the flight to Cardiff but radar contact was lost at 8.15pm near Guernsey.
The aircraft was located on the seabed on February 3 and Sala's body was found in the wreckage three days later.
The inquest, which is taking place at the Town Hall in Bournemouth, is due to last around a month.