Man who blackmailed royal over gay sex claims took his own life with cocktail of drugs
A man who tried to blackmail the Royal Family over gay sex claims took his own life by taking a cocktail of drugs, an inquest has heard.
Ian Strachan, 40, was found dead on Christmas Eve after seeing his mother at his Marylebone flat.
The inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court heard that Strachan, originally from Aberdeen, had claimed to be friends with Prince William and Prince Harry.
He had registered with three GP surgeries and a private clinic in order to feed a prescription drug habit, the hearing was told.
Strachan, born Paul Adalsteinsson, had used various names including Paul Stein, to get the drugs which he took “like sweets”.
He was jailed in 2008 for five years after a £50,000 blackmail plot against a Royal Family member but served half of his sentence.
Strachan later had his leg amputated after a 30 foot fall from a balcon in 2013 when he shattered his pelvis.
Following the accident he had to visit various hospitals.
He told his GP that he had escaped Dubai via Iran after spending ten months there. Before leaving he had allegedly crashed an Audi R8 supercar in 2015.
The inquest heard that Strachan had suffered two heart attacks in 2016 brought on by heavy cocaine usage.
The hearing also heard that he tookd the drugs and drank heavily in order to cope with phantom pain brought on by his amputation.
Toxicology reports showed that before collapsing in his flat on Christmas Eve, he had taken a cocktail of drugs.
The drugs included codeine, maxicodone, xopicone and cocaine.
He had sent aggressive text messages to his mother at 1am on the day he died.
They read: “You want a body, you have got one.
“It will be a different day tomorrow, I won’t be here.”
He was pronounced dead at 6.41pm on Christmas Eve last year after suffering respiratory failure brought on by multi-drug poisoning.
Police Constable Michaella Ashley told the inquest: “There was dried blood on his nose.
“It was clear he was dead as there was hypostatis and rigor mortis.
“There was a full suitcase, it was like he had not unpacked yet, as if he had only just moved in.
“The flat was barricaded, someone had put a table by the door.”
The court heard how Strachan had become aggressive and threatened to kill his mum when she visited him the evening before his death.
PC Ashley said: “When she was at his flat he started drinking vodka and then started becoming aggressive and then she left.”
Westminster Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe concluded Strachan had killed himself.
She added: “Most days he would drink and take cocaine. He suffered from alcohol dependency syndrome.”
His mum was listed to attend as a witness, but rang up late last night to cancel.
But a statement from her, read to the inquest, said: “Paul wanted help, alas he did not get it before it was possible.
“If Paul had been offered help he would have taken it.
“He wanted nothing more than to marry and have children at some stage. It is too late for Paul.”
Suicide is preventable. Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
