Estere Mickane: Schoolgirl, 14, found dead in bed by her heartbroken mom after taking ecstasy during Covid lockdown
GRIMSBY, ENGLAND: A 14-year-old Scunthorpe schoolgirl was tragically found dead in her bed by her heartbroken mother after she started taking ecstasy during the Covid lockdown. Estere Mickane, a pupil at Outwood Academy in Lincolnshire, was found dead by her mother Evita Kevisa on August 22, 2020, an inquest hearing in Grimsby was told.
Kevisa was not present at the inquest, but in a statement read out at the hearing, she said that Estere was a brilliant student, who also loved art, drawing, and gymnastics but she became increasingly isolated after coronavirus restrictions were first imposed in March 2020. The mother said Mickane found homeschooling difficult and missed her friends. Kevisa's fears escalated when her daughter became friends with a group of people who arrived at their house smelling of cannabis, according to DailyMail.
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The mother said she saw a drastic change in Estere’s behavior as she started spending more time on Snapchat and changing her look, including her dressing style and make-up. The inquest also heard that Estere had bought Methylenedioxymethamphetamine tablets, commonly known as ecstasy, 'from a lad in Scunthorpe'. One of Estere’s friends, whose identity was withheld due to privacy reasons, said the teen and a couple of her friends took ecstasy tablets on a number of occasions "in the park or on the streets.”
‘I never thought she would take an overdose’
In a statement read at the hearing, the friend said that Estere promised to stop taking the pills after two of her friends urged her to stop buying them. They said that earlier in August, Estere and her friends had a 'falling out' and they never saw her again. "Estere was a good friend and good company. We begged her to stop. I never thought she would take an overdose. She was fed up in lockdown. It came as a total shock and I miss her. She was a really lovely person and I miss her so much," the friend said.
Detective Sergeant Ron Nutting of Humberside Police said, "Estere’s bedroom was examined forensically, but there was no proof that she had intentionally overdosed." A post-mortem examination revealed a 'much higher level of MDMA (ecstasy) than recreational use.' The inquest heard that heavy ecstasy usage could result in kidney, liver, and heart failure. "It is a myth that it is a safe drug," toxicologist specialist Dr Nadia Burgess said in a report.
'Death was a result of drugs’
Marianne Johnson concluded the hearing, saying, "Unfortunately it appears she did not heed the warnings from her friends. She continued to take the drugs. It was spur of the moment. She had her whole life in front of her and I have the deepest sympathy for her family and friends." She concluded the ‘death was as a result of drugs.’
"Young people think ecstasy is safe. The reality is it most certainly is not a safe drug. It is a hazardous drug. It is an illegal Class A drug because there is no known safe level." The assistant coroner continued, "You have to consider the purity of a tablet and whether it is taken in conjunction with any other stimulant. It acts differently according to the circumstances. It is a hazardous drug which should not be taken."