A personal trainer died after taking the equivalent of hundreds of cups of coffee in caffeine powder.

Thomas Anthony Mansfield of Lawson Road in Colwyn Bay passed away on January 5, 2021 at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd after miscalculating the amount of caffeine in his pre-workout drink.

The father-of-two, who worked as a security guard and a personal trainer, had ordered a packet of caffeine powder from Blackburn Distributions, a UK-based sport supplement company.

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The packet arrived at the 29-year-old's home on the morning of January 5 and he went on to consume the drink shortly afterwards, an inquest heard at Ruthin County Hall today (March 1).

The recommended serving for the caffeine powder, as stated on the packaging at the time, is between 60-300mg twice a day.

A superfit father collapsed and died after downing a high caffeine drink before his regular workout, an inquest heard. Personal trainer Thomas Mansfield, 29, suffered a suspected caffeine overdose after ingesting the shake at his home. His heartbroken wife Suzy watched as Tom foamed at the mouth and began to fit just minutes after taking the shake drink.
An inquest heard Tom had mixed caffeine powder into his drink at the family home in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. Pictured here is Thomas Mansfield
WALES NEWS SERVICE
Personal trainer Thomas Mansfield, 29, suffered a suspected caffeine overdose after ingesting the shake at his home

However the digital scale used by Mr Mansfield to measure the powder had a starting weight of 2g - which was several times the maximum amount of a single serving of the caffeine powder.

John Gittins, senior coroner for North Wales east and central, heard that Mr Mansfield was "likely aiming for a mid range serving" when attempting to measure the powder but instead consumed too much of the supplement.

In a statement, Mr Mansfield's widow, Suzannah, said her late husband was "really healthy" and would normally drink no more than two cups of coffee a day.

She said that her husband "necked the remainder of the drink" after taking a sip and began "clutching his chest" shortly afterwards before lying down on the sofa.

Why journalists cover inquests and why it's crucial that we do

Reporting on an inquest can be one of the hardest types of stories a journalist can write.

More often than not, they are emotionally charged proceedings attended by grief-stricken people who are desperate for answers.

Sometimes, inquests can seem quite clinical due to a coroner’s need to remain impartial and level-headed so that they can draw a conclusion from desperately sad events.

As painful as these proceedings are for those who have lost a loved one, the lessons that can be learned from inquests can go a long way to saving others’ lives.

Families are often surprised - and sometimes angry - when they see a reporter in attendance.

Understandably they worry the nature of their loved one’s death will be sensationalised and that a news story will forever tarnish their memory.

Responsible and ethically minded journalists will do what they can to report inquests sensitively, while not shying away from the often upsetting facts.

It is vital that the public don’t forget that inquests are a type of judicial inquiry; they are after all held in a coroner’s court.

The press has a legal right to attend inquests and has a responsibility to report on them as part of their duty to uphold the principle of ‘open justice’.

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But in doing so journalists must follow the guidance provided by the Independent Press Standards Organisation and set out in Editors’ Code of Conduct.

It’s a journalist’s duty to make sure the public understands the reasons why someone has died and to make sure their deaths are not kept secret.

An inquest report can also clear up any rumours or suspicion surrounding a person’s death.

But most importantly of all, an inquest report can draw attention to circumstances which may stop further deaths from happening.

Inquests are not criminal courts - there is no prosecution or defence - they are fact-finding tribunals which seek to answer four key questions:

  • Who is the person who died?
  • Where did they die?
  • When did they die?
  • How did they die?

They do not apportion blame.

Once these questions are answered a coroner will be able to record a conclusion.

The wider lessons that can be learned from an inquest can have far-reaching consequences - but if journalists do not attend them how can the public be made aware?

The harsh reality is they can’t. Coroners often do not publish the results of an inquest.

Should journalists shy away from attending inquests then an entire arm of the judicial system - and numerous others who need to answer vital questions - is not held to account.

Inquests can often prompt a wider discussion on serious issues, the most recent of these being mental health and suicide.

Editors actively ask and encourage reporters to speak to the family and friends of a person who is the subject of an inquest.

Their contributions help us create a clearer picture of the person who died and also provides the opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one.

Often families do not wish to speak to the press and of course that decision has to be respected.

However, as has been seen by many brilliant campaigns run by newspapers and websites up and down the country, the input of a person’s family and friends can make all the difference in helping to save others.

Without the attendance of the press at inquests questions will remain unanswered, debates unargued and lives lost.

Moments later, she saw him frothing at the mouth and ran out of the house in order to seek help from her neighbours and family members who lived nearby.

An ambulance arrived on the scene within minutes and the crew used a defibrillator due to Mr Mansfield's "grossly abnormal" heart rhythm as he had gone into cardiac arrest.

He was then taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd where resuscitation attempts were eventually stopped at 4pm and the 29-year-old was pronounced dead.

Following a post-mortem examination, a medical cause of death of caffeine toxicity was given as Mr Mansfield was found to have 392mg of caffeine per litre of blood, the coroner heard.

Caffeine toxicity can be caused by levels at 78mg per litre of blood or higher.

In his conclusion, Mr Gittins recorded Mr Mansfield's death as misadventure due to the unintended result of his own actions in consuming the caffeine powder.

Mr Gittins added that he has since been "massively reassured" that action has been taken to help prevent similar cases from occurring in the future with this brand of caffeine powder due to the provision of a scoop and an A4 instruction sheet in all new packets.

Had these scoops been provided at the time, Mr Mansfield would likely still be alive today, the coroner said in his conclusion.

The instructions and warnings on the caffeine powder packet was not in breach of regulations at the time, the coroner heard.

Thomas and Suzannah have two children together, Tommy and Millie, and well-wishers rallied round to fundraise for the family following Tom's death.

The inquest heard Tom had mixed caffeine powder into his drink at the family home in Colwyn Bay
The inquest heard Tom had mixed caffeine powder into his drink at the family home in Colwyn Bay

Writing on social media, Suzy said she was "absolutely heartbroken" by the tragedy.

She said: "My world has been ripped apart and my kids have lost their daddy.

"I've lost the love of my life.

"Tom passed away at the hospital, the family tried so hard but it wasn't enough.

"He was my whole life I'll never get over this.

"You were my life Tom.

"I'm missing you so much and trying so hard for the kids keep it together, I love you more than I could love anyone , I'll always love you."