Coronation Street actor's chilling last words 'after taking pink powder'

A Coronation Street histrion admitted "I don't cognize what was successful the f***ing thing" earlier dying aft taking a cocktail of drugs astatine a creation festival successful Costa Rica, an inquest was told.

A week into his holiday, Joseph Wandera, 27, suffered a seizure and contempt respective attempts to prevention him, helium died astatine an flat successful the formation edifice of Tamarindo wherever helium had been attending the BPM euphony festival successful January 2022.

The time earlier his death, Rochdale Coroners' Court heard helium sent a substance connection to his woman backmost successful England, Alison Maloney, which said he was "getting connected it similar mad".

And connected the greeting of the time of his death, January 16, Joseph told his woman aft taking a pinkish powder: "Not gonna lie, I don't cognize what was successful the f***ing happening that I f***ing took. I tin lone benignant with my near manus and present I can't spot retired of my near eye."

He added helium had been throwing up and had "not slept for 2 days". Joseph's friend, Renay Zollner, said successful a connection to the tribunal she archetypal met Joseph successful Marbella and they "have go friends", enjoying nights retired successful Manchester. She had besides travelled to Costa Rica for the festival with immoderate of Joe's friends, the tribunal was told.

She recalled that Joseph "looked tired" connected the formation retired but said helium seemed "otherwise healthy". She said 'the boys' stayed successful a villa and she stayed successful apartment, and said that Joseph had been taking MDMA (ecstasy), though she wasn't definite however much. She said "everybody" had been buying it from section dealers.

She said she had not seen Joseph drinking immoderate intoxicant but said helium tried a cause called Pink Stuff, a signifier of pinkish pulverization which she saw him "snort", a "few days" earlier his death. After 1 nighttime retired a week into the holiday, Ms Zollner said she fell dormant connected the sofa of her flat astatine 3am connected January 16 erstwhile she said she received a WhatsApp connection from Joseph asking her if she could prime him up.

She agreed and spent 50 minutes driving to a determination helium had sent to her "in the mediate of a wood by the coast". When she recovered him, she noted bags nether his eyes but she said this was "normal".

She continued: "All of america were slumber deprived due to the fact that of each the partying, drinking and drugs". Ms Zollner said Joseph could not supply her with the determination of his villa truthful she drove backmost to her flat wherever she refused his proposition helium slumber connected the sofa and told him to slumber connected a bed. She enactment a broad implicit him, she said. Ms Zollner said Joseph was "not blistery oregon sweaty" and she went to bed. The witnesser said that astatine 7.15am Fidel, 1 of the boys who had besides stayed astatine her apartment, woke her up to accidental Joseph was "fitting connected the floor" and she said she told him to enactment him successful the betterment position.

Five minutes later, Fidel shouted astatine her to travel down and helium "looked panicked". She said she recovered Joseph connected the floor. Ms Zollner said she could find nary pulse but could observe immoderate breathing. The ambulance work was called and Ms Zollner said thy were advised to "start CPR", with Fidel doing thorax compressions. When paramedics arrived astatine the apartment, they said "nothing much could beryllium done", according to Ms Zollner.

Joseph's mum, Claire Beatson, told the inquest connected September 18 she was "shocked" to observe Joseph had taken ecstasy and admitted to his woman helium had consumed a concoction of chartless drugs called "Pink Stuff", reported the Manchester Evening News.

She said helium had been raised successful Salford and Prestwich earlier going to survey performing arts. He besides worked astatine JD Sports and Greggs aft his studies and helium was signed up by an acting bureau wherever helium besides worked arsenic an administrator, Ms Beatson told the court.

She said her son, who had had roles successful Coronation Street, Scott and Bailey, and Moving On, "loved" the performing arts. Joseph was lone a societal drinker and each twelvemonth attended Manchester's Parklife euphony festival, the tribunal was told.

Ms Beatson said her lad smoked cannabis erstwhile helium was younger and "occasionally" took ecstasy, though she said taking drugs "wasn't thing that was his accustomed behaviour". She admitted she was "shocked" erstwhile she recovered retired what her lad had consumed successful Costa Rica due to the fact that "he's ne'er taken thing similar this before".

Her lad enjoyed travelling and had been to Thailand with his "acting friends". She said of her son: "He was a humorous, benignant young antheral who enjoyed entertaining radical and loved life."

Ms Beatson said she learned from her lad that helium had booked a two-week vacation to Costa Rica flew retired from London Heathrow connected January 10, 2022. While helium was away, helium sent her immoderate pictures and a mates of substance messages from the trip. In the past one, dated successful the day of January 15, helium said helium had been astatine a enactment and helium said helium was "having a bully time". She learned of her son's decease from his girlfriend, the tribunal was told.

The inquest heard Joseph suffered a superior battle successful Manchester metropolis centre astatine 1am connected December 16, 2019, erstwhile helium was attacked by "a radical of chartless people". He was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary with breached vertebrae successful his back, lacerations which required staples and bruising.

He was discharged 11 days later. However, Joseph lone reported it to the constabulary 18 days aft the onslaught and detectives were incapable to find immoderate CCTV due to the fact that of the delay, the inquest heard. Ms Beatson told the inquest her lad went to a backstage physiotherapist pursuing the battle helium complained of feeling "tingling" down 1 arm.

Forensic pathologist Dr Charles Wilson conducted a station mortem introspection of Joseph erstwhile his partial, embalmed remains were repatriated pursuing a station mortem introspection successful Costa Rica. He noted a fracture to the spine but said it was "unlikely this would person caused oregon contributed to the death".

Dr Wilson said determination was "not capable material" for him to petition a UK toxicological study and alternatively had to trust connected the "fairly scant" toxicological study from Costa Rica which revealed determination was ketamine and MDMA (ecstasy) successful Joseph's blood, though it did not uncover the attraction of these drugs successful his system.

The pathologist said the effect of these 2 drugs unneurotic "can beryllium much profound". Detective Inspector Mark Astbury said helium had been incapable to hint 1 of the friends who had been connected the travel portion different had "passed" distant since. However, helium concluded determination were nary suspicious circumstances and that Joseph had voluntarily consumed the drugs recovered successful his system.

Recording a decision of misadventure, country coroner Catherine McKenna said the aesculapian origin of decease was 'ketamine and MDMA toxicity'. She added: "Joseph took these drugs of his ain escaped volition and I'm satisfied helium did not mean this outcome." The coroner said she hoped the decease 'serves arsenic a informing to radical taking recreational drugs', adding: "Joseph was a talented, gregarious and joyful young antheral who had a promising vocation up of him and everything to unrecorded for."

On Joseph's actor's profile, it was stated that helium started retired arsenic portion of the MaD Theatre Company, based successful Monsall, wherever helium performed astatine schools, theatres and festivals crossed Manchester. He performed astatine the Manchester Fringe Festival successful 2012, and aboriginal a fig of TV roles. In 2018, Joseph appeared connected Coronation Street arsenic a purchaser funny successful purchasing Eileen Grimshaw's car.