A Staffordshire Bull is suspected to have eaten crack cocaine and killed its owner. Stock photo

A Staffordshire Bull Terrier that was suspected to have eaten crack cocaine, mauled and killed its owner while he was filming a documentary on drugs.

Mario Perivoitos, who worked in IT, died in hospital shortly after he was attacked by "Major".

Perivoitos received serious injuries to his face and neck, extensive haemorrhaging and his larynx was crushed, an inquest heard.

The BBC film crew at his home in North London called an ambulance and tried to fight off the dog, which had attached itself to the 41-year-old’s neck.

They were trapped in the flat for around 30 minutes. Police took almost 10 minutes to open the door in the tower block as it was heavily locked.

Perivoitos had been filming a BBC documentary called Drugs Map Britain. On the night he died, he came home after 10pm having consumed cocaine and became unwell, resulting in an epileptic fit.

The dog then attacked his owner as he lay on his bed.

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“The dog was eight times the drug drive limit,” said Nicholas Carmichael, a veterinary toxicology expert, who found cocaine and morphine in the dog’s urine, according to reports.

”The dog had clearly taken it and, whether it had eaten it or taken it in by smoke, it is likely to have been a factor in the dog's behaviour."

Coroner Andrew Walker concluded that the dog had probably eaten the drug and been provoked by his owner having an epileptic fit.

He also said that Perivoitos had died due to his injuries from the attack.

Major was due to be destroyed, according to police. It is not clear if it has happened yet.

Independent News Service