A forensic toxicologist told a murder trial jury in Exeter how ’very, very small’ traces of ketamine and an antidepressant were ‘possibly’ detected in Lorraine Cox’s body after death.
Azam Mangori, aged 24, of Mary Arches Street, Exeter – also known as Christopher Mayer – on trial at Exeter Crown Court denies murder. He has pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful burial of Miss Cox’s body.
Mangori, who is expected to begin giving evidence on Tuesday (March 23), is anticipated to tell the court he shared some drugs with Miss Cox in the early hours of September 1, 2020, but cannot say what the substance was.
When questioned by police after Miss Cox disappeared, Mangori said he had never met the 32-year-old woman and he was gay.
After his arrest Mangori remained silent during his police interviews.
Type I diabetic Miss Cox was last seen alive with the defendant in the early hours of September 1, 2020, caught on CCTV going into the city centre building, above a kebab shop, where he lived.
Forensic toxicologist Alicia Pitcher, said ‘very, very small’ trace amounts of anesthetic ketamine – a known horse tranquiliser administered by vets – and antidepressant amitriptyline, were detected in samples of Miss Cox’s cavity fluid when her remains were found.
She said she ‘could not safely say’ from the test results that Miss Cox had taken ketamine.
Miss Pitcher told the court Miss Cox could have taken the drug in the days before she died.
The jury was told the traces were a ‘very, very small amount’ that fell below the testing laboratory’s cut-off point for detection.
Miss Pitcher said: “She would not have been experiencing any effects of ketamine at the time of her death.”
She added: “If ketamine had been taken, I would expect to see a significant amount if it was shortly before death.”
When cross examined by Adam Vaitilingham QC, defending, Miss Pitcher told the jury smoking ketamine would be ‘dangerous’ if taken that way, and could cause death.
The jury was told ketamine was ‘extremely dangerous’ if taken with another drug, such as alcohol, and could ‘depress the respiratory system – having an effect on the breathing and central nervous system – and cause unconsciousness and coma.
No other drugs were detected in Miss Cox’s system, the toxicologist said.
The jury was told Miss Cox had previously tried ketamine for the first time and ‘returned to normal’ with ‘no lasting effects’ an hour after taking the drug.
The jury has heard how diabetes did not explain Miss Cox’s death.
Early-hours CCTV footage from September 1, 2020 showed Mangori leading Miss Cox back to the Bodrum kebab house, in Mary Arches Street, Exeter, where he had a room above the takeaway.
It was the last time she was seen alive.
Miss Cox had spent the August bank holiday drinking with friends and was spotted by Mangori as she walked alone through the Exeter High Street.
Her remains were found in bins behind the kebab shop and buried in remote woodland on the outskirts of Exeter.
The court has heard how Mangori used the dead woman’s phone SIM card and Facebook account to dupe Miss Cox’s family and friends into believing she was safe and starting a new life in Plymouth.
The trial continues.
