Inquest rules paralysed Norfolk woman died after trying magic mushrooms to relieve pain
She was left tetraplegic after a crash in 2017
Last updated 27th Sep 2023
A vet left paralysed after a crash died after taking magic mushrooms to try to relieve her pain, an inquest has been told.
Dorota Paskevic, 33, was left tetraplegic with very limited movement after the road smash in 2017, Norfolk's senior coroner Jacqueline Lake said.
She was unable to eat, drink or administer medication without help, had 24-hour care and lived with her parents and live-in carers in Dunston near Norwich, the inquest in Norwich heard.
"Dorota was in pain," Ms Lake said.
"She wanted to take mushrooms to act as a pain suppressant."
Ms Lake said Ms Paskevic organised getting the mushrooms and "asked her friend and previous carer to be present when she tried them".
The coroner said Ms Paskevic told her friend she "may trip for up to eight hours and may need water and also an ambulance if she stopped breathing".
Ms Paskevic was admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on February 28 after taking the mushrooms and pronounced dead on March 3 this year.
Her cause of death was recorded as a hypoxic brain injury due to an overdose of psilocybin, a chemical found in magic mushrooms.
Police investigated and decided to take no further action, with a report noting Ms Paskevic was a "very intelligent individual".
It said no-one else was involved in researching the mushrooms and Ms Paskevic "wanted to take the substance for no reason other than pain relief and for the experience of doing so".
Recording a conclusion of misadventure, Ms Lake said: "There's no evidence Dorota intended to take her own life.
"She took the mushrooms in order to relieve the pain she was in.
"I'm satisfied this was an intentional act with an unintended consequence, namely her death."
Ms Lake extended her condolences to Ms Paskevic's family.