A couple found dead in mysterious circumstances in a souped up car were overcome from carbon monoxide poisoning, an inquest has ruled.
Tom Putt, 20, and his girlfriend Nikki Willis, 23, were found in the modified Ford Fiesta (pictured below) outside Miss Willis’s home in Chelmsford, Essex, last December.
When their bodies were discovered, it was initially suspected by police that they may have been involved in a “chemical incident”.
However, it soon became apparent that changes to the vehicle made by Mr Putt – a car enthusiast and engineering apprentice at Ford – were responsible.
To boost the Fiesta’s performance, Mr Putt had removed the catalytic convertor from the exhaust and cut vents into the bonnet. Tragically, it was revealed at the coroner’s inquest this week that a gap between the exhaust and the engine allowed fatal fumes to be sucked into the car through its fresh air intakes.
The hearing at Chelmsford coroner’s court was told that tests carried out with the help of Ford showed the carbon monoxide levels inside the car had been 1,000 times greater than the safe limit. Autopsy reports said that the pair had died from inhaling exhaust fumes including carbon monoxide.
Detective Inspector Robert Kirby, who investigated the deaths, said: “A gap in the exhaust system where the exhaust meets the engine allowed fumes to escape. Compounded by the fact the car had had its catalytic converter removed, which normally dissipates harmful emissions, vents underneath the windscreen wipers then took in the emissions from the gaps in the bonnet.”
Residents said they had heard the engine of Mr Putt’s car running at around 4.30am on December 5. The alarm was raised at 10.30am but it is not known how long the pair had been sitting in the car. Vomit was found outside the vehicle on the driver’s side and also in front of Miss Willis’s house. Police have been unable to trace how it got there, prompting speculation that the victims may have left the car at some point and then returned to it.
Caroline Beasley-Murray, the coroner, described the couple’s deaths as a “tragic, tragic accident” and recorded verdicts of accidental death.
Mr Kirby added outside the court: “Tom was not inexperienced. He had been an apprentice with Ford for over a year and had done work on his car previously. We would like to encourage people to consider if modifications are worth the potential consequences.”