Lawyer is first known Briton victim of ‘Mexico suicide tourism’ after purchasing euthanasia drug

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A lawyer has become the first known Briton to kill himself as a result of Mexico’s “suicide tourism” by purchasing a euthanasia drug whilst on holiday and smuggling it back into the UK.

Kalvin Chapman, 43, killed himself in April last year after taking a lethal dose of a drug that is used in the US for executing convicted criminals but illegal in the UK.

Mr Chapman travelled to Mexico to purchase the drug, the inquest heard, before taking it in his apartment in Ancoats, Manchester.

The commercial litigation solicitor then informed police via email, saying: “Hi I took a fatal overdose – it will probably kill me within 20 minutes please could you send someone to pick up my body?”

Officers arrived at Mr Chapman’s apartment within 40 minutes but they were unable to him.

Inquiries revealed the lawyer – who qualified in law from King’s College London – had left three suicide notes addressed to the coroners and the police.

Tweet from Kalvin

“The notes clearly expressed the medication was obtained on holiday in Mexico. He named his friend as the sole beneficiary and a copy of this receipt was retrieved with the notes,” police coroners officer Benjamin Dobbs told the Manchester hearing.

“He had clearly planned this and these letters reference holidays he had taken prior to this to purchase the medication abroad which he had used to take his own life,” Mr Dobbs added.

A toxicology report said: “Kalvin was tested positive for a drug used in euthanasia which clearly is not legal to use in this country. Kalvin had informed the police that he had gone to Mexico to purchase this drug it is the drug that is used for euthanasia and it is the drug that is used a lot in other countries for death sentence.”

Recording a conclusion of suicide coroner Jean Harkin said: “It is clear Kalvin was in a lot of pain and had quite a lot of medical conditions and had a lot of mental health issues in the form of the depression he was being treated for.”

Source: the telegraph

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