‘Potent heroin’ killed rave musician Liam Maher

THE family of Flowered Up lead singer Liam Maher have called for more support for drug addicts leaving prison, following an inquest into his death.

Mr Maher, 41, whose band shot to fame with cult rave anthem Weekender in the 1990s, died in his Euston home on October 20 last year after injecting himself with a fatal dose of heroin.

St Pancras Coroner’s Court heard how the popular musician – who had battled addiction for 20 years – was released from prison just 11 days before his death.

His body was discovered by his girlfriend at his second-floor flat on Burton Street with eight times the fatal level of heroin in his blood.

Family members attending the inquest on Friday said Mr Maher had “everything to live for” and should have been given more support to stay off drugs following his release from prison.

His 18-year-old daughter Tao, of Lewis Street, Camden Town, said: “Heroin addicts are consistently looked down on and not given the support they need to get off the drugs. Drugs make you selfish, but I never think about my dad as a selfish drug addict. He wasn’t like that. He was a very loved person.”

The inquest heard that at the time of his death, Mr Maher had plans to move in with his long-term girlfriend and was due to go on holiday to Lanzarote. His sister-in-law Mags Maher said his life was “turning a corner”. 

She added: “He shouldn’t have been let out of prison and then left on his own without help and support. His tolerance would have been extremely low because they detoxed him. Then they sent him out on the street without any follow-up support – this is why so many young men who are addicted to drugs leave prison and overdose in the first week.” 

Mr Maher’s family believe a particularly strong batch of the drug could have caused his death. Deputy Coroner Sean McGovern described the level of heroin in his blood as “the highest I’ve seen for a very long time,” adding: “It suggests the drug was more potent than he might have expected.”

Recording a verdict of misuse of drugs, Mr McGovern said there was no evidence of suicide.

Formed on the Regent’s Park Estate, Flowered Up enjoyed success in the rave scene and were dubbed London’s answer to the “Madchester” movement – or the “Cockney Happy Mondays.”  Following the band’s split in 1993, Mr Maher continued to write and formed a band called Greedy Soul with former band member Tim Dorney. 

Mr Maher’s brother Joe – also a member of Flowered Up – described Liam as the “voice of a generation.”

“His heart and his passion was for his music and his daughter,” Joe  added.

• A separate inquest held last Tuesday heard how 45-year-old Fay Young, also a long-term user, died with 2,200 micrograms of heroin per litre of blood – more than 18 times the fatal limit. 

Ms Young – who also died in Camden in October – was not considered suicidal, and drugs worker Matthew Young struggled to explain the extreme levels of heroin in her system. 

He told the St Pancras inquest it was possible she had taken a particularly potent dose of the drug. “You can get strong batches coming through,” he said.
JOSIE HINTON