Inquest Rules Chloe Ferris Died from Drug-Induced Asphyxia

An inquest in Belfast has ruled that 24-year-old beautician Chloe Ferris died from positional asphyxia caused by a combination of cocaine, ketamine, and alcohol during a night out at Lux nightclub on Dunbar Street in the early hours of December 1, 2024.

The hearing, held at Laganside Court on December 3, 2025, more than a year after the incident, detailed how Ferris, who was celebrating her birthday, had been drinking at her home with friends before heading to a bar in Belfast city center. According to statements from two friends provided to police, Ferris used one of their phones to arrange the purchase of cocaine, citing embarrassment about using her own device. She collected the substance from a car near the bar. Witnesses described cocaine use as out of character for Ferris and her group, though she had bought the drug at least once before. The friends consumed some of it in the bar's toilet before proceeding to Lux around 1 a.m.

Closed-circuit television footage from the nightclub captured Ferris and a friend entering a toilet cubicle at 1:17 a.m. Staff grew concerned during a routine check about 30 minutes later when the door remained closed. The cubicle, enclosed by...