Newcastle man Dean Wright died at Hotel Riu Cancun, Mexico

Dean Wright was 33 when he died at the Hotel Riu Cancun in Mexico on December 14, 2019, after reports of an altercation.

His family have endured an almost-five-year wait for answers as to how the ‘happy, funny and kind’ wind farm inspector and Newcastle fan came to be found dead outside a public bathroom in the hotel at about 7am.

An inquest at Newcastle Coroners Court on Tuesday (October 22) concluded his death was an accident.

Wright, from Newcastle, was holidaying with girlfriend Rebecca Platts and the pair had been taking cocaine since arriving at the resort for their 14-day holiday on December 7, 2019, the court was told.

She had gone to bed earlier in the early hours of December 14, but Dean had stayed up socialising with fellow guests in the hotel bar. She received a knock on the door from hotel staff sometime after 7.30am saying an ambulance had been called.

Dean Wright. (Image: FACEBOOK) Dean was seen dead on a luggage trolley surrounded by security guards as CPR was attempted.

After extensive family appeals for information, one witness told police they had seen an altercation a short time before Dean died.

The man told police there had been a “food fight” and Dean had been an “aggressor”, Northumbria Police Detective Inspector Neil Jobling told the court and said there had been a further altercation in the bathrooms where Dean had gone to clean himself.

But the detective and coroner questioned the witness’ credibility saying the man was not able to provide any further detail or photos he suggested he had of the incident, nor had anyone corroborated his account.

The inspector added they were unable to obtain CCTV or seek witnesses in the usual ways to help their probe.

Police in Mexico conducted a homicide investigation but found no evidence of any criminality, while officers in the UK also made inquiries to help the coroner.

Pathologist Dr Louise Mulchay, who conducted a post-mortem examination 14 days after his death when his body had been repatriated, found he died of the combined results of alcohol and cocaine. It was the third examination after two in Mexico.

Dean Wright. (Image: FACEBOOK)

He was found with a series of injuries to his body, but the pathologist all but ruled out third party involvement in his death.

The coroner said: “She (Dr Mulchay) concluded there was no definitive evidence to suggest that Dean had been assaulted or that he had sustained injuries that caused or contributed to his death”.

Dr Mulchay concluded Dean’s death was due to “the effects of a combination of alcohol and cocaine” which caused his heart to stop, along with a heavier-than-normal heart and an undiagnosed issue with his arteries.

The drug taken with cocaine, the pathologist told the court, causes the body to create cocaethylene which can increase the risk of sudden death by seven times.

In a tribute read in court, his mum Maria Wray said: “The loss of Dean has had a huge impact on my family. My family are devastated and completely broken.

“He was a very happy, funny, kind and generous person. He would give you his last penny.

“His funeral was almost a celebration with almost 500 people attending.

“He didn’t have enemies, just so many friends and groups of friends from all over.

“I want Dean to be remembered with happiness and for the generous person he was.”

He worked as an inspector on windfarms, travelling all over the world, having previously trained as an electrician.

Concluding his death as an accident Assistant Coroner Dilks said: “Dean died on December 14, 2019 while on holiday in Cancun, Mexico. He purchased and consumed cocaine in conjunction with alcohol between December 7 and 14. He died sadly in the early hours of December 14 due to the effects of cocaine and alcohol, to which underlying left ventricle hypertrophy and coronary artery atheroma contributed.”

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In a direct message to the family, she said: “I would like to extend to you my very sincere personal condolences Maria, I cannot imagine how difficult the circumstances have been for you, losing a child in any situation is devastating but to have it complicated by another country and the complications of that along with the investigations that follow, my heart goes out to you.

“This a case which has been investigated in a way which very few coronial cases are in a way to make sure that we are clear about events and what happened."