Man had taken drugs before cemetery crash - inquest

Marcus Ball and Zoe Simpson died after the car they were travelling in hit a tree

A driver had taken cocaine and cannabis in the hours before crashing his car at a cemetery in Bradford, killing him and a passenger, an inquest has heard.

Marcus Ball, 33, had been driving his Volkswagen Polo with Zoe Simpson, also 33, in the passenger seat at around 05:00 GMT on 5 December 2024 when he approached a corner at an excessive speed.

He lost control of the car, which struck a tree and flipped onto its side, Bradford Coroner's Court was told on Monday.

Mr Ball was cut out of the car but later pronounced dead. Ms Simpson was found on the ground nearby and was pronounced dead at Bradford Royal Infirmary at around 06:30 GMT.

A postmortem and a toxicology report found that Mr Ball had cocaine, cannabis and alcohol in his bloodstream, the court heard.

Ms Simpson also had cocaine and cannabis in her system, as well as a small amount of alcohol, but the coroner said this did not contribute to her death.

A recovery truck was used to remove the damaged vehicle from the cemetery

Assistant coroner Laura Fox offered her "sincere and heartfelt condolences to each family" who were present at the inquest.

She read out tributes from both families, who said that Mr Ball was "a skilled builder, proud of the work he did and the difference he made".

The tribute went on to read that "family meant everything to Marcus and he showed this through his actions and his love".

A statement from Ms Simpson's family said that she "was a loving person" but "was easily taken advantage of due to her trusting nature".

It added that she would "be missed at home and at family events".

Of Mr Ball, Ms Fox said: "There was evidence of alcohol intoxication, cocaine use and cannabis use, all of which may have impaired his cognitive function and/or driving ability."

The court heard that police reports showed no other vehicles were involved, and there were no mechanical defects or environmental factors which led to the crash.

The cemetery was closed for services while the car was recovered from the scene

Giving evidence, Kieran O'Connor, a forensic investigator for West Yorkshire Police, said: "Marcus attempted to negotiate the bend at too great a speed resulting in a loss of control."

He said that the speed at the point of the collision would have been between 30 and 40mph, but that this was a rough estimate, and that the speed when the vehicle started to lose control would have been higher.

The court heard that there was no street lighting, but that the headlamps on Mr Ball's car were on and working.

There was no evidence that Mr Ball was using a mobile phone, but Mr O'Connor said the fact that Ms Simpson had been projected out of the car was "evidence that the seatbelts were not in use".

The court also heard that an amount cocaine was found in the car.

Ms Fox asked Ms O'Connor if "the causation rests with [Mr Ball]" to which the police officer replied: "Yes, that's correct."

The coroner concluded that cocaine, cannabis and alcohol "more likely than not affected his ability to safely and competently drive a vehicle".

The coroner's conclusion was that Ms Simpson died in a road traffic collision as a result of multiple injuries. A narrative conclusion was recorded for Mr Ball.

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