VICKY Pattinson today broke down in tears over the death of her best friend.
Nightclub manager Paul Burns died suddenly in 2018 after an evening out with the former Geordie Shore star.
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Vicky has now revealed how the pain of his death has continued to affect her.
Describing the day he died, she told the Yours Sincerely with Jess Phillips podcast, she said: “Everybody who met him absolutely loved him. He had a magnetic personality, even before I knew him I wanted to know him.
“He was funny, witty and loud, the best person.
“We had this incredible group of mates. I realise now he’s gone he was the glue of our group.
“He routinely checked in on all of us, in a way that a lot of people don’t think to do.
“You very rarely take a second to stop and make sure everybody in your friendship group is ok, especially when you get older.”
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Vicky went on to explain the lasting legacy that Paul had left, and what his life now means to her.
Getting teary, she added: “I realised there and then that Paul had shown me the friend I wanted to be.
“I’ve tried so hard since losing Paul to fill his shoes and always check in on my mates and if any of the girls are quiet in the group chat, I make sure I send them a message privately, because that’s what Paul would have done.
“I endeavour to live in a way that not only honours him and his memory but what he would be proud of.”
FINAL HOURS
On June 2, 2018 Paul finished his shift at The Botanist in Newcastle city centre at around 11pm and went to meet friends., which included Vicky.
The inquest into his death heard the popular bar boss, dubbed “Mr Newcastle”, was seen by a member of the public in the early hours of the day he died..
Coroner Karen Dilks said the 37-year-old was “sitting on a wall and appeared to be swaying with his head in his hands”.
“A short time later he was seen lying unresponsive on the pavement,” she said.
Paramedics attended the scene and attempted to resuscitate him, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
POST MORTEM
Ms Dilks said a post mortem examination showed no obvious signs of natural disease.
She said a toxicology report confirmed the presence of MDMA – also known as ecstasy – in his system.
Ms Dilks told the hearing that the concentration of the drug was “high in relation to the typical concentration in recreational users”.
She said in the absence of any other findings the cause of death “can be attributed to the effects of MDMA”.
A statement from Detective Sergeant Richard Anderson confirmed that inquiries by Northumbria Police found there was “nothing to suggest any third party involvement in Paul’s death, no suspicious circumstances and no link between Paul’s death and any other death”.
Ms Dilks said: “Given the evidence I have heard today it’s clear Paul Burns had no natural disease that could explain his death – the only significant finding was that of the toxicological findings of the level of MDMA.
“The conclusion I must report is that it was a drug related death.”
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