Uni graduate died after eating slice of pizza ordered from Deliveroo, inquest hears

A 23-year-old former university student died after eating a slice of pizza ordered from Deliveroo, an inquest has heard.

James Atkinson, originally from Leeds, had ordered a chicken tikka masala pizza, chips and several Indian dishes from Deliveroo with his flatmate back in 2020.

The computer programmer - who had a peanut allergy - ate less than one slice of pizza and chips before he became unwell.

Family Handout

His flatmate was unable to locate his EpiPen while the former Newcastle University student rang for an ambulance.

Home Office pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton said Atkinson was 'gasping for air' when the ambulance arrived before he was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

He arrived at the unit at 8.40pm on July 10, 2020 and his death was confirmed at 9.21pm.

Toxicology tests showed he had no alcohol or other drugs in his system at the time, meaning his decision-making ability was not impaired.

Dr Bolton said: “Even with the appropriate use of an EpiPen, there’s no guarantee that an individual will survive, but it certainly increases your chances.

“He experienced his difficulty in breathing and he was becoming aware it was getting worse, (and) individuals do sometimes say ‘I am going to die’.

“Medically, that is taken very seriously. Everybody is still doing everything they can to stop that being the case, and, in fact, to prove the individual wrong.”

Atkinson's cause of death was confirmed as anaphylaxis following peanut ingestion.

Family handout

Atkinson was diagnosed with a peanut allergy 10 years before his death, and was 'usually very good' at monitoring it, the inquest heard.

On behalf of the family, his father said: “James had a gift of making others happy, checking in on friends and offering support when needed.

“To be in his company with his amazing sense of humour and infectious laugh was a privilege.

“First on the dance floor and last to leave, James lived life to its fullest but also had a sensitive and thoughtful side.

“His whole family meant the world to him. He was loving, kind and caring.

“James’s sudden death has left an insurmountable hole in our hearts.

“He had his whole life ahead of him full of future plans and dreams that will not be realised or witnessed by his family.

“No more memories to make.

“We were blessed to have him for the 23 years that we did. He is irreplaceable.

“However, to honour him we hold a forever space in our hearts and carry him with us always – our beautiful boy, James.”

The inquest, which is set to last two weeks, is ongoing.

A Deliveroo spokesperson told LADbible: “This event was a tragedy and our thoughts are with James Atkinson’s family and friends. Deliveroo is complying fully with the Coroner’s Inquest. We are committed to providing the tools for restaurants to make allergen information available to consumers on our platform and will continue to make it easier for them to do so to further protect users.”