THE death of a man who swallowed a plastic bag said to have contained cocaine during a police traffic stop has been ruled as misadventure by a coroner.

Jamie Aaron Rogers, from Basingstoke, died after his brain was starved of oxygen as a result of a cardiac arrest suffered after ingesting the drugs, an inquest at Basingstoke Coroners Court was told on Monday.

After swallowing the bag, Jamie later had a fit and was taken to hospital where he was put on life support but died just over a week later on April 8 last year

On March 30, 2017, the 22-year-old went to meet friends Lee Boyce and David Havard in a pub in Basingstoke, when he was spotted by childhood friend Louise Gilluley, who informed Jamie’s girlfriend Phoebe Prince, who also then met with the group.

At around midnight, the group were in the Maidenhead Inn, in Winchester Street, and shortly before 12.30am, the group left the pub and got into a grey BMW owned by Mr Havard to go back to Ms Gilluley’s house.

In Winchester Road, they were pulled over by an unmarked police car.

Mr Havard exited the car, was breathalysed and then arrested.

While Mr Havard was in the police car, Mr Boyce was said to have passed Jamie what was described as a “small, marble-sized piece of plastic bag”, with something inside, which the court was told was cocaine. Jamie was told to get rid of the bag. Mr Boyce denied passing the bag or telling Jamie to get rid of it.

However, after saying that he was going to put the bag down his trousers, Jamie placed it in his mouth. The court heard it became apparent he swallowed the package and became panicked after he realised what had happened.

He managed to walk to Ms Gilluley’s house, while trying to make himself sick on the way, and drank coffee to try and get rid of the plastic bag.

At around 4am, Jamie had a fit, waking Ms Prince, who called her mother and then for an ambulance which took him to hospital.

In recording the death as misadventure, north east Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley: “There is no doubt that Jamie swallowed the drugs, and as sad as it is for you [Jamie’s mother], nothing I say will change your position.”