Ghastly and feverish – friend tells of anthrax victim's final hours

Published on Tuesday 18 November 2008 21:22

THE friend of an artist who died after contracting anthrax said yesterday that he had looked "ghastly" and feverish in the days before his death.

John Godfrey, 69, was speaking at the start of a fatal accident inquiry into the death of Christopher Norris, from the Borders, who died in July 2006.

A report from NHS Borders, published in December last year, said he was likely to have contracted the illness after playing or handling contaminated West African drums at a drumming workshop.

His was the first death from anthrax in the UK for more than 30 years.

Mr Norris was in remission from leukaemia, which had been diagnosed in 2002, when he died a few days after attending the workshop in Smailholm, near Kelso.

Mr Godfrey told the inquiry that he had seen Mr Norris regularly in the days before his death, because they were friends and neighbours.

He said Mr Norris told him he felt feverish on the Wednesday – the day after the drumming class in Smailholm, but better on Thursday.

On the Friday, Mr Godfrey noticed that Mr Norris's door was open, and he went in to find him very unwell.

He said: "He looked ghastly, very drawn. I thought it was probably a result of the fever and thought he should see a doctor immediately."

Mr Godfrey drove Mr Norris to the surgery to see the doctor, who immediately called an ambulance. Mr Norris was taken to hospital, where he died later that night.

"It was a tragic loss, a waste of a good life," Mr Godfrey said.

Mr Norris's brother, Michael, 49, called for tighter controls on the import of potentially contaminated drum skins.

He also questioned the point of the inquiry,

saying: "It seems a bit rich that all this money is being spent on legal processes and no money is being spent on telling drummers to watch out.

"The importation and provenance in general of drum skins needs to be addressed to stop people from dying."

Mr Norris said his brother, a Buddhist and vegan, lived a healthy lifestyle and had plenty of energy. He was "thoroughly unjudgmental and likeable".

He said his brother – who was known as Pascal – had studied art in Edinburgh, and then lived for about a decade in London, where he worked as a gravedigger, studied acupuncture and practised tai chi.

He returned to the family home, Black Lodge in Stobs, near Hawick, 18 years ago and worked as a woodworker and craftsman.

Felicity Burrows, 42, told the inquiry, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, that she had attended a drumming workshop in Kelso with Mr Norris on Sunday, 2 July, and a drumming class in Smailholm on the Tuesday.

The pair became friends through the classes, and used to drive to them together.

She said Mr Norris had a drum that he had made himself out of badger skin.

She told the inquiry Mr Norris had not mentioned any health problems in the previous weeks, apart from a sore finger.

An investigation into Mr Norris's death took more than eight months.

The hearing continues.