DJ’s body was found in studio full of drugs
Grosvenor Way where Joseph Holland was found - Credit: Archant
A young DJ had been dead for as long as five days before his body was found in his Hackney studio, an inquest heard.
Joseph Edward Holland was found sitting in a swivel chair by his landlord at the unit in the former industrial building in Grosvenor Way, Lower Clapton on November 30.
A post-mortem investigation on the 26-year-old from Leamington Spa showed traces of morphine and crack cocaine in his liver, but the cause of his death remains unascertained because of the state of his body’s decomposition. Police identified him by his finger prints which they already had on record.
They discovered equipment used in drug dealing in the studio in which he also lived, including digital scales, cling film, and a large amount of self-seal bags, along with 2,500 units of Diazepam, 99 units of LSD, and amphetamine, crack cocaine, diamorphine, ecstacy and cannabis.
At his inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court, coroner William Dolman said: “So there was quite a little hoard of drugs there.
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“In fact it was an industrial quantity. There was something else going on there which might have been of interest to the criminal courts, had the poor chap survived.”
His sister Geraldine Holland, who last saw him on her birthday on November 15, said she suspected he did take recreational drugs, but it was something he had hidden from his family.
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Mr Holland’s landlord last saw him at 9pm on November 25 when he appeared to be fine, and the last outgoing call from his mobile was at 6am the following day.
There were no offensive marks on Mr Holland’s body suggesting no evidence of third party involvement – but coroner Mr Dolman said he could not be 100 per cent sure that no one else had a role to play in his death.
He said: “There are lots of gaps here in the evidence. Because of all these blanks and this isn’t a court of guesswork I must conclude his death is unascertained.”
“I hope you can remember happier days with your brother, not the awful events of last year and coming to court today,” he told his sister.
