Soldier ecstasy death: Friends delayed 999 call over job fears

Sion Rosier was taken to a student nurse's house where he died

The friends of a soldier who died after taking ecstasy did not call 999 immediately as they feared he would lose his job, an inquest heard.

Sion Rosier, 20, was on leave from 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards when he fell ill after taking MDMA for the first time in Cardiff.

An inquest heard his friends took him to their flat, but he died hours after taking the pills on 3 August 2019.

Senior coroner Graeme Hughes said his death was accidental.

Trooper Rosier, from Ely, took the pills in Undertone nightclub during a bar crawl with friends.

The inquest, in Pontypridd, heard how during the night he started to "manically dance" on the dancefloor, and told a friend, who was a student nurse, he had "just taken three pills".

Mr Rosier was helped out of the bar at 04:00 BST and his friends discussed calling an ambulance, but his best friend Ellis Bennet was worried he would lose his job.

Mr Bennet told the inquest: "We didn't call for an ambulance because we didn't want him to lose his job in the Army."

He was taken to his friend's flat in Cathays, who checked his pulse, but a minute later noticed his lips looked blue.

An ambulance was called, but Mr Rosier was pronounced dead at 06:42.

A toxicology report found he had 1.9mg of MDMA in his system - previous deaths have happened in levels between 0.6mg to 3.7mg.

His mother Julie King said her son "never had issues with drugs" and was fit and healthy because he was in the Army.

In a statement his battalion said: "Sion was a good solider, a true regimental character always cheerful and ready to laugh.

"He will be sorely missed by the regiment."Senior coroner Graeme Hughes concluded his death was "accidental resulting from the abuse of drugs."