Coronation Street actor, 27, dies after collapsing on BPM festival holiday

Joseph Wandera told his girlfriend he was 'getting on it'

A rising star in the acting world tragically collapsed and died after consuming a mix of drugs while at a dance festival in Costa Rica, an inquest heard. Joseph Wandera, aged 27, experienced a seizure a week into his holiday.

Despite desperate efforts to revive him, Joseph passed away in an apartment at the Tamarindo beach resort, where he was attending the BPM music festival in January 2022.

His mother, Claire Beatson, expressed her shock to Rochdale Coroners' Court on Tuesday, September 18, upon learning that Joseph had taken ecstasy and confessed to his girlfriend that he had ingested a mysterious drug blend known as "Pink Stuff".

The day prior to his untimely death, Joseph sent a text to his girlfriend in England, Alison Maloney, stating he was "getting on it like mad", according to MEN.

On January 16, the morning he died, he messaged his girlfriend saying: "Not gonna lie, I don't know what was in the f***ing thing that I f***ing took. I can only type with my left hand and now I can't see out of my left eye."

He also mentioned that he had been vomiting and hadn't slept for two days. In a statement to the court, Joseph's friend Renay Zollner, who first met him in Marbella and enjoyed nights out with him in Manchester, said they "have become friends". She was also in Costa Rica for the festival with some of Joe's friends, the inquest was informed, reports the Mirror.

She remembered that Joseph "looked tired" on the outbound flight but appeared "otherwise healthy". She revealed that while 'the boys' stayed in a villa, she lodged in an apartment and noted that Joseph had been consuming MDMA (ecstasy), though she was uncertain about the quantity.

She mentioned that "everybody" was purchasing it from local dealers. She stated that she hadn't seen Joseph consume any alcohol but disclosed that he tried a drug known as Pink Stuff, a pink powder which she witnessed him "snort", a "few days" prior to his death.

After a night out one week into their holiday, Ms Zollner recalled falling asleep on her apartment's sofa at 3am on January 16 when she received a WhatsApp message from Joseph requesting her to pick him up.

She agreed and spent 50 minutes driving to a location he had sent her "in the middle of a forest by the coast". Upon finding him, she noticed bags under his eyes but dismissed this as "normal".

She added: "All of us were sleep deprived because of all the partying, drinking and drugs". Ms Zollner mentioned that Joseph couldn't provide her with the location of his villa so she drove back to her apartment where she rejected his proposal to sleep on the sofa and instructed him to sleep on a bed.

She covered him with a blanket, she said.

Ms Zollner recounted that Joseph appeared "not hot or sweaty" before she retired for the night. The following morning, at 7.15am, Fidel, one of the boys staying over, woke her with the news that Joseph was "fitting on the floor".

She instructed him to place Joseph in the recovery position. Shortly after, a distressed Fidel called for her to come downstairs, where she discovered Joseph unresponsive on the floor. Despite finding a faint breath, Ms Zollner could not detect a pulse.

Upon calling the ambulance service, they were advised to "start CPR", with Fidel performing chest compressions. However, when paramedics arrived, they concluded "nothing more could be done".

During the inquest, Ms Beatson, Joseph's mother, shared that her son grew up in Salford and Prestwich and pursued performing arts. Post-studies, he worked at JD Sports and Greggs and was represented by an acting agency, also contributing as an administrator.

Ms Beatson highlighted Joseph's passion for performing arts, noting his appearances in Coronation Street, Scott and Bailey, and Moving On. She described him as a social drinker who enjoyed attending Manchester's Parklife music festival annually.

Ms Beatson revealed that her son had previously smoked cannabis and "occasionally" indulged in ecstasy, though she emphasised that drug-taking "wasn't something that was his usual behaviour". She admitted to being "shocked" upon discovering what her son had taken in Costa Rica, stating, "he's never taken anything like this before".

Describing her son as a vivacious young man with a passion for travel, Ms Beatson shared that he had journeyed to Thailand alongside his "acting friends". She fondly remembered him as "He was a humorous, kind young man who enjoyed entertaining people and loved life."

She recounted learning about her son's two-week holiday to Costa Rica, which commenced when he departed from London Heathrow on January 10, 2022. During his time abroad, he kept in touch by sending her photos and a few text messages.

The last message she received, dated the afternoon of January 15, conveyed that he had been at a party and was "having a good time". The tragic news of her son's passing was later delivered by his girlfriend, as informed to the court.

The inquest also delved into a severe incident that occurred on December 16, 2019, where Joseph suffered a serious assault in Manchester city centre around 1am, inflicted by "a group of unknown people". Following the attack, he required urgent care at Manchester Royal Infirmary for broken vertebrae in his back, lacerations needing staples, and extensive bruising.

Joseph was discharged 11 days after the incident, but he only reported it to the police 18 days later. Due to this delay, detectives were unable to find any CCTV footage of the attack, the inquest heard.

His mother, Ms Beatson, told the inquest that her son had visited a private physiotherapist after the assault and complained of a "tingling" sensation down one arm.

Forensic pathologist Dr Charles Wilson performed a post-mortem examination on Joseph's partially embalmed remains after they were repatriated from Costa Rica. He noted a spinal fracture but stated it was "unlikely this would have caused or contributed to the death".

Dr Wilson mentioned there was "not enough material" for him to request a UK toxicology report, so he had to rely on a "fairly scant" toxicology report from Costa Rica. This report revealed the presence of ketamine and MDMA (ecstasy) in Joseph's blood, although it did not specify the concentration of these drugs.

The pathologist highlighted that the combined effect of these two drugs "can be more profound". Detective Inspector Mark Astbury said he had been unable to locate one of the friends who accompanied Joseph on the trip, while another friend had since "passed" away.

However, he concluded that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Joseph's death and that he had voluntarily consumed the drugs found in his system.

Area coroner Catherine McKenna recorded a conclusion of misadventure, stating the medical cause of death was 'ketamine and MDMA toxicity'. She said: "Joseph took these drugs of his own free will and I'm satisfied he did not intend this outcome."

McKenna expressed her hope that the tragic incident would act as a caution to others about the dangers of recreational drug use. She remarked: "Joseph was a talented, gregarious and joyful young man who had a promising career ahead of him and everything to live for."

It was noted on Joseph's acting profile that his early career began with the MaD Theatre Company in Monsall, where he showcased his talent at schools, theatres, and festivals throughout Manchester. His performances included the Manchester Fringe Festival in 2012, followed by several television roles.

In 2018, Joseph made an appearance on Coronation Street, playing a character interested in buying Eileen Grimshaw's car.

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