A British obsessive/compulsive dubbed the 'dettol man' after the cleaning product, had died from exposure after repeatedly cleaning himself with the disinfectant.
Loner Jacques Niemand is believed to have been overcome by the fumes from the chemical cleaner, bottles of which were found in abundance in his apartment. More than a hundred bottles of the cleaner were found along with several buckets. The 42 year old was found dead at his Didsbury, Manchester residence with enormous amounts of the chemical in his system. The chemical is likely to have deprived his body of sufficient access to oxygen causing asphyxiation.
The sister of the man, Ruth Bain, said that he had suffered from obsessive cleaning for years prompting her to refuse visits to his apartment. She described the environment inside the dwelling as "stifling".
We were struggling to get help for my brother and trying to get his life back in order when he died.
Police officers entering the premises were overpowered by the scent and had to leave. The deputy coroner has ruled out any possible motives for suicide. Pathologist Lorna McWilliam wouldn't speculate whether the liquid cleaner was simply breathed in or possibly consumed orally:
I cannot be sure his death arose through using an excessive amount at one time – but I suspect there must be an element of that, she told the hearing in Manchester.
