Rachel's boyfriend 'injected her with fatal heroin dose'
HEROIN victim Rachel Whitear died from an overdose after being injected by her drug addicted boyfriend, it was claimed at her inquest yesterday.
A witness told how Luke Fitzgerald, now 32, panicked after discovering his girlfriend dead and asked his brother to help cover up what had happened.
It is claimed his brother Simon removed a syringe from the scene and placed another one – which did not have any incriminating fingerprints – in Rachel’s hand.
Evidence of “cooking up” drugs was removed and surfaces wiped, it was claimed.
Yesterday Luke Fitzgerald admitted he had made conflicting statements to police about the events surrounding Rachel’s death but he blamed this on his heroin addiction. But he categorically denied any involvement in the tragedy.
The bloated and bruised body of Rachel, 21, was found slumped on the floor of a seedy flat in Exeter, Devon, seven years ago. The former university student was found curled up on the floor clutching a syringe.
But doubts were cast over how Rachel died at a second inquest in Exeter this week. It was revealed the syringe in Rachel’s hand was clean and it was claimed the position of her body was “posed” or staged.
Yesterday the inquest heard from a former girlfriend of Simon Fitzgerald. The witness – identified only as J – told how Simon confided in her two years after Rachel’s death.
She said: “He said some stuff that really shocked me. He talked about his brother Luke. He said that he did one thing that really freaked him out. He asked me if I knew a Rachel Whitear. Then he told me about her. He said they had both had a hit and he had injected her because she couldn’t do it.
“Then an argument happened and he walked out of the house. When he came back she had passed out. He said she wasn’t dead but he ran away.” She said Luke called his brother asking for advice, prompting Simon to drive to the flat.
The witness said: “He said that he pulled her up and got rid of the syringe because the original would have had fingerprints on it. He then wiped down the surfaces. Then he went to meet Luke and passed the keys to him saying he had ‘cleaned it up’.”
Rachel’s mother Pauline Holcroft, 57, has campaigned for six years for a second inquest after the original hearing in December 2000 returned an open verdict. This was granted after a second police investigation led to the exhumation of Rachel’s body in 2004 which revealed fresh evidence.
Yesterday Mrs Holcroft questioned Luke Fitzgerald who has been off drugs for five years.
He refuted theories that he had given Rachel the injection that killed her. Turning to face Mrs Holcroft and Rachel’s stepfather Mick, he said: “I would like to address this to Rachel’s family and those close to her. I hope this inquest brings about what they want, some closure.
“I obviously played some part in Rachel’s substance misuse but I was not there when she died. I am not directly responsible for Rachel’s death and they should know that.”
He denied he had given the fatal injection before asking his brother Simon to cover up.
He said: “I can say with certainty this is all lies. ”
The hearing continues.
