James Atkinson inquest: Peanut reaction killed man, 23, who ordered pizza from Newcastle restaurant

A 23-year-old with a peanut allergy who ate a slice of a pizza he had ordered from a takeaway asked paramedics if he was about to die before he fell profoundly unconscious, an inquest has heard.

Computer programmer James Atkinson ordered a chicken tikka masala pizza, chips and Indian dishes with his flatmate, having searched the internet for likely ingredients in certain foods, the hearing in Newcastle was told.

The former Newcastle University student, originally from Leeds, was said to have eaten some chips and less than one slice of the pizza before he realised something was wrong as he became rapidly unwell.

While his flatmate looked for his EpiPen, unsuccessfully, Mr Atkinson rang for an ambulance.

The inquest was read a statement from Stephen Gillespie, a paramedic with the North East Ambulance Service, who said he was urgently diverted to Mr Atkinson’s home in Jesmond with two colleagues.

They found Mr Atkinson in his bathroom “in the tripod position” and breathing extremely quickly, and he was given adrenalin.

The paramedic said: “James was scared throughout.”

He asked “Am I going to die?” Mr Gillespie said.

Dr Jennifer Bolton, a Home Office pathologist, outlined the background to her inquiry into Mr Atkinson’s death and said he was “gasping for air” when the ambulance crew arrived.

By the time he had been helped downstairs, he was assessed to have a Glasgow coma score of three, Dr Bolton said, and was “profoundly unconscious”.

Mr Atkinson was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle at 8.40pm on 10 July 2020 and, despite the efforts of medics to resuscitate him, his death was confirmed at 9.21pm.

Toxicology tests showed he had no alcohol or other drugs in his system at the time and so his decision-making ability was not impaired, the inquest heard.

Dr Bolton said Mr Atkinson was known to be “usually very good” at monitoring his allergies, having been diagnosed with a peanut allergy 10 years earlier.

The contents of his stomach were examined by an expert after his death and what were possibly nuts were found.

Examination of the uneaten takeaway food also detected the presence of peanuts, as did analysis of a “nut mix” at the restaurant in Newcastle which supplied it, Dr Bolton said.

She gave the cause of death as anaphylaxis following peanut ingestion.

Coroner Karen Dilks asked Dr Bolton if the outcome would have been different had an EpiPen been found to use on Mr Atkinson.

The pathologist said: “Even with the appropriate use of an EpiPen, there’s no guarantee that an individual will survive, but it certainly increases your chances.”

Addressing a comment by Craig Hassall KC, for the family, about Mr Atkinson's remarks on whether he was going to died, Dr Bolton said: “He experienced his difficulty in breathing and he was becoming aware it was getting worse, (and) individuals do sometimes say ‘I am going to die’.

"Medically, that is taken very seriously. Everybody is still doing everything they can to stop that being the case, and, in fact, to prove the individual wrong.”

At the start of the hearing, Mr Atkinson’s parents, Jill and Stuart, together read out a pen-portrait of their son.

'We were blessed to have him for the 23 years that we did'

On behalf of the family, his father said: “James had a gift of making others happy, checking in on friends and offering support when needed.

“To be in his company with his amazing sense of humour and infectious laugh was a privilege. First on the dance floor and last to leave, James lived life to its fullest but also had a sensitive and thoughtful side.

"His whole family meant the world to him. He was loving, kind and caring.

“James’s sudden death has left an insurmountable hole in our hearts. He had his whole life ahead of him full of future plans and dreams that will not be realised or witnessed by his family.

“No more memories to make. We were blessed to have him for the 23 years that we did. He is irreplaceable.

“However, to honour him we hold a forever space in our hearts and carry him with us always – our beautiful boy, James.”

The inquest, set to last two weeks, continues.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...