Man 'started speaking another language' before dying on work night out

A young man who went on a work night out with friends started 'speaking in another language' and died the next day after taking ecstasy, an inquest heard. 

Italian national Jakub Jarzecki, 21, worked at food supplier Wellocks in Nelson, Lancashire, alongside his brother-in-law Mateusz.

Jarzecki had just finished a night shift on May 1 this year when he, and several of his colleagues including Mateusz, decided to go for a drink.

They had just learned that a work friend had been suspended and all agreed to go out in case 'he never returned', Preston Coroner's Court heard.

The group went back to a female colleague's house on Castle Street with Mateusz leaving after one drink.

But a couple of hours later, at around 8am, Mateusz received a distressing call from someone still at the house who said Mr Jarzecki was in trouble. 

Mateusz went round to the property where one of the others was reluctant to call an ambulance.

However, after taking a look at Mr Jarzecki, Mateusz immediately recognised that he was seriously unwell and said: 'Are you f*****g mad? He looks like he's dying.'

Paramedics arrived at 9:32am and noted that Jakub's heart rate was very high, at 150 beats per minute, and he also had a very high temperature and respiratory rate.

As the ambulance raced to Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, Mr Jarzecki began to suffer seizures. Just before arriving at A&E, he went into cardiac arrest.

At the emergency department doctors continued CPR for 30 minutes, while also administering fluids, insulin and dextrose due to his acidic blood. 

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But as Mr Jarzecki's condition deteriorated they realised that their efforts were futile and made the decision to stop attempting to resuscitate him.

The inquest heard a statement from Mr Jarzecki's work friend, Katarzyna, whose house he had been at when he collapsed.

Katarzyna said: 'Jakub was a cheerful person who I could joke with but who I could also talk to about serious things. At 7pm I started work and one man was suspended from work and sent home.

'We said we should all meet and have a drink as he might not come back to work. After work we went to my house in Nelson.

'Something was happening to Jakub. His eyes were open and he was speaking in a strange language. We didn't know who he was talking to. He was behaving strangely.'

After Mr Jarzecki's death detectives searched the property on Castle Street where they found two empty snap-seal bags similar to those in which illegal drugs are often sold.

Detective Inspector Iain Czapowski, of Lancashire Police, said that he could find no evidence that drugs had been consumed on the premises. 

However, DI Czapowski added: 'What stood out was the sheer quantity of alcohol that had been consumed.'

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In a statement Mateusz said: 'I think they were all taking drugs as I can't think why they wouldn't call an ambulance sooner. I just don't understand why they didn't call an ambulance.'

Mr Jarzecki's sister, Klaudia, added: 'It's been the hardest time of our lives trying to cope with what's happened.'

Toxicology tests carried out after Mr Jarzecki's death revealed he had levels of MDMA (ecstasy) in his system which were within the range encountered in fatalities.

Concluding that Mr Jarzecki's death was drug-related, assistant coroner Sian Jones said: 'When his brother-in-law arrived, even to a lay person it was clear it wasn't a case of someone who was drunk. He was incoherent and talking in a strange language.

'The person whose phone he used was still reluctant to call an ambulance and one has to wonder why that was. The reluctance to call an ambulance suggests to me that at least some of those present were aware something has been taken and were worried, maybe due to their employment.'

A GoFundMe page set up by Mr Jarzecki's colleague Ryan Holt after his death raised more than £2,000 towards the funeral in order to give him the 'send-off he deserves'.

On the page Mr Holt wrote: 'Our colleague Jakub sadly passed away on May 2. He started with the company in February 2022 and in that time he has spent time working as part of the night dairy team and the night freezer team and built relationships right across the warehouse.'