The brother of a man who is the subject of a coroner’s inquest stormed out of the court yesterday after shouting at a doctor on the witness stand.
The eruption occurred when Dr. Todd Overholt was testifying about methadone withdrawal on the opening day of an inquest into the death of Keigo White, who choked himself while incarcerated at the Don Jail in October 2006 and late .
The former heroin addict reportedly told jail guards that if not given methadone, he would kill himself. Later, he was found without a pulse, with bedsheets tied around his neck. He died in hospital nearly three months later.
Overholt, an expert witness, told the five-person jury that although the symptoms associated with methadone withdrawal can make some people feel very sick, the medical risks are not high.
In other words, the symptoms, such as extreme fear and deep pain, can become so intense that some may think they’re going to die; but in reality, giving up cold turkey will not actually result in death.
