A Tragic New Year’s Eve: The Death of a 34-Year-Old Woman from Cocaine Use
A 34-year-old woman, Francesca ‘Franki’ Phillips, died from a heart attack on New Year’s Eve after taking cocaine for the first time. The incident, which occurred on January 1, 2023, has sparked an inquest into the circumstances surrounding her death and raised concerns about drug use and emergency response.
Franki’s husband, Darren, purchased a gram of cocaine for £80, as the couple wanted to try something new to celebrate the holiday. Neither of them had used cocaine before—Darren hadn’t taken it since his teenage years, while Franki had never used it at all. Despite their concerns, they decided to proceed with the plan.
The couple had been spending the evening playing video games and drinking three Disaronno and Pepsis. They each snorted two small lines of cocaine about two hours apart, and Franki took a few drags of her husband’s cannabis. At around 10:30pm, she began experiencing back pain and started vomiting. The pain moved up to her shoulders, and by midnight, she went upstairs to ask for aspirin.
At approximately 1:00am, Darren called 999, suspecting Franki was having a heart attack. Her condition worsened, and he called again at 2:10am, explaining that she was turning blue and struggling to breathe. He was told an ambulance would arrive in 18 minutes, but the operator apologized for the delay as he pleaded for help.
By the time the ambulance arrived at 2:34am, Franki had gone into cardiac arrest. Her sister Laura and her boyfriend Benjamin were already at the scene and made two additional calls to emergency services. Paramedics performed CPR for 45 minutes, but Franki was declared dead shortly after 3:30am.
The Aftermath and Legal Consequences
At the inquest held on the Isle of Wight, Darren expressed deep regret over his decision to buy the cocaine, urging others not to make the same mistake. His wife’s sister, Laura, criticized the emergency response, stating she felt powerless while waiting for help. Benjamin noted that two paramedics appeared to be laughing when they arrived, though their demeanor changed once they saw the severity of the situation.
Kathryn Taylor, head of quality governance for the ambulance service, explained that the call was categorized as a Category 2 response, which is typically for emergencies like suspected heart attacks. An ambulance was dispatched at 2:16am and arrived at 2:41am, which was above the expected response time.
Dr. Adnan Al-Badri, the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem, concluded that the cause of death was a cardiac arrest due to a coronary artery spasm triggered by cocaine use. The drug played a significant role in her death.
Jack Budden, the man who supplied the cocaine, was charged with supplying a Class A drug and received a suspended two-year prison sentence. He was later jailed in 2025 for unrelated drug offenses. No charges were brought against Darren, as police considered it a “joint enterprise” between the couple, and it was deemed not in the public interest to prosecute him.
Issues with Emergency Response
The Isle of Wight Ambulance Service launched an investigation into the actions of Fred Thompson, a specialist critical care paramedic who was the most senior clinician at the scene. The investigation found that his decision not to transport Franki to the hospital was “difficult to justify” and an “error of judgment.” Thompson also used an ultrasound machine without proper authorization and misinterpreted its readings.
Thompson resigned from the ambulance service in 2023 and referred himself to the professional regulator. A Health and Care Professions Tribunal is still considering whether he should face disciplinary action or be struck off. He now works for a private healthcare provider, Practice Plus Group, and claimed that he and the other paramedics believed the live monitor showed a flat line. He insisted his actions were done “in the best interest without malice.”
Darren accused Thompson of “playing God” by declaring his wife dead. Franki’s sister, Victoria, criticized Thompson for his lack of respect and cowardice, noting that he was difficult to contact after leaving the service, which delayed the inquest. The coroner had to hire a private investigator to track him down.
A Message of Warning
Franki’s family described her as a kind-hearted, generous, and intelligent person who loved animals, reading, and astronomy. Mrs. Sumeray, the coroner, said it was difficult to pinpoint a single factor that led to her death, other than the use of cocaine. She warned that cocaine use is becoming more common among younger people on the island and issued a stark message: “Drugs kill, and we don’t know what we’re taking.”
The inquest continues, and the tragedy serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of drug use and the importance of timely emergency response.
