Teenage girl collapses and dies after first kiss

A teenager girl collapsed and died from sudden adult death syndrome (SADS) minutes after she was kissed for the first time, an inquest has heard. Jemma Benjamin, 18, was kissed by fellow university student Daniel Ross, 21, at his home after a night out together. But Miss Benjamin suddenly slumped onto the sofa - and died in front of Mr Ross's eyes.

The inquest heard Jemma died from SADS, a rare heart condition which kills 500 people in Britain each year. Mr Ross, who had known Miss Benjamin for three months, tried desperately to save her before paramedics arrived on the scene. But the inquest heard nothing could have be done for Miss Benjamin, who was described as a "picture of health". Mr Ross told police that he and Miss Benjamin had been friends for three months - but that was the first time they had kissed.



He said: "It was not a sexual relationship but we saw each other a couple of times a week. We were going to go to a bar for some food and went back to my house for a credit card which I had forgotten. We were talking and ended up kissing in the hallway by the front door. We went into the kitchen and then the living room and Jemma sat down on the sofa."

Mr Ross said that Miss Benjamin's eyelids "suddenly began to droop" and her mouth started to froth before she collapsed at his student flat in Treforest, Pontypridd, South Wales. He said: "I rang her mother to see if she had epilepsy. She fell in and out of consciousness." He rang 999 and was given CPR instructions on the phone by a Welsh Ambulance Service control operator but he was unable to revive her.