Alcohol, GHB and Xanax behind Saudi prince’s death in London hotel; reveals investigation | Today’s news
A London coroner’s court has concluded that a Saudi prince who was found dead in a luxury hotel in the UK last year died after suffering a cardiac arrest caused by a combination of alcohol and drugs.
According to a report by The Telegraph UK, an inquest at Inner West London Coroner’s Court heard that Prince Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi al Saud, a member of the Saudi ruling family, was on alcohol, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), cannabis and the anti-anxiety medication Xana at the time of his death.
The 29-year-old prince was found dead in the bathroom of his room at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington, west London, on November 25 last year. He was staying in a room that reportedly cost around 600 euros a night.
Request details on addiction treatment
The inquest heard Prince Abdullah had struggled with alcohol and Xanax use before his death.
According to The Telegraph UK, about three months earlier he had been admitted to the Priory Clinic in Roehampton, London, where he underwent detoxification from alcohol, benzodiazepines and the anti-anxiety drug pregabalin. A stay at the clinic can reportedly cost up to 35,000 euros per week.
After completing treatment there, he sought further care at Rainford Hall, a private rehabilitation clinic in Merseyside which is said to charge around €7,000 a week. During his stay, he was also diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection before being discharged on October 14.
The Prince checked into the Marriott Hotel on November 19 for a week-long stay. CCTV footage showed him leaving the hotel to smoke the night before his death.
No evidence of suicide or foul play
The inquest heard that a hotel cleaner found Prince Abdullah lying fully clothed on the bathroom floor in a locked room on the fifth floor. Paramedics tried to revive him, but were unsuccessful.
Toxicology tests carried out during the hearing showed his blood ethanol concentration measured 222mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – almost three times the UK legal limit of 80mg per 100ml.
The analysis also revealed potentially lethal levels of GHB, commonly known as the “party drug,” along with traces of cannabis, alprazolam (Xanax) and other anti-anxiety drugs.
A post-mortem examination concluded that the prince had suffered a cardiac arrest brought on by the combined effects of alcohol and drugs.
The inquest also heard that Prince Abdullah was not considered to be at risk of suicide. A police investigation found no evidence of third-party involvement, while CCTV footage showed he was alone the night before his death, according to The Telegraph UK.