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Synestra De Courcy died from mephedrone and cocaine toxicity, a coroner has said

The transgender former head boy of a £30,000-a-year boarding school died after a drug-fuelled party two days before getting the go-ahead for his gender reassignment operation.

Synestra De Courcy, 23, was born male and went on to become head boy and twice student of the year at St Christopher school in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

She officially became Synestra in 2013 and hoped to undergo a full operation, but difficulties with the NHS caused her to spiral into drug addiction, according to her mother.

Two days after her death on July 26 this year, Synestra received a letter from the NHS giving a date for a full gender reassignment operation.

An inquest into her death today found the student had died from cocaine and mephedrone toxicity.

Outside of court, Synestra's mother, Amanda, accused the NHS of discriminating against transgender people.

Known as Alexander at birth, Synestra had thrived at St Christopher's whose former pupils include late food critic Michael Winner, broadcaster George Lamb, and journalist A.A. Gill.

In 2013, Alex she became Synestra and went on to study cosmetic science at the University of Arts in London.

But her transgender journey was 'fraught with problems' at this time, according to her family, who say the NHS failed to take her attempts at gender change seriously.

She forced to prostitute herself to raise the money for hormonal drugs independently, according to her mother.

Testifying at Poplar Coroners' Court today, her boyfriend Jonathan Palmer paid tribute to her, saying: 'Where do I begin? She was one of the most beautiful people I have met. She was wonderful, deep, warm, connected and highly-intelligent.

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'We had a beautiful relationship, it was really growing. We had made plans and she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.'

The pair had been to transgender and drag club WayOut in central London on 25 July before moving to a house party in the early hours.

Her mother said she had struggled to get the NHS to recognise her wish to change gender

Throughout the night Synestra took both cocaine and mephedrone, as well as drinking neat vodka, the inquest heard.

Mr Palmer said he was 'out of it'and around midday the next day and the pair went to sleep at a friend's flat in Tower Hamlets.

Shortly before 7pm, Synestra was found unconscious and with no pulse.

Synestra's tolerance to drugs may have been reduced by a period she had spent off of them

'We had been out a long time. She didn't look that bad,' Mr Palmer continued.

'I was in the lounge at approximately 5.30pm. She came in and then went into the bedroom.

'I went to check on her and realised something was deeply wrong. I checked her pulse and breathing and there was neither.

'I knew she had taken something, but I didn't witness it. Friday had been an absolutely lovely evening. It was one of the best we ever had.'

Despite the best efforts of Mr Palmer, his friends and paramedics to resuscitate Synestra, she was pronounced dead at 7.10pm.

A toxicologist's report found that despite there being no alcohol in Synestra's system, there were traces of both cocaine and mephedrone, also known as M-CAT.

The inquest heard Synestra had been treated for anxiety and GBL dependency at Spectrum drug and alcohol agency in Hertfordshire in the months leading up to her death.

The report added that a fatal cardiac arrhythmia could easily have been caused by a combination of cocaine and mephedrone.

'It is likely she died from a mephedrone and cocaine toxicity,' said senior coroner Mary Hassell.

'It is not necessarily about the amounts of the drug but the effects on the heart. It is so cardiotoxic just taking it. There is no specific level. Just taking it can stop the heart suddenly.'

Given a verdict of drug-related death, Ms Hassell added: 'It seems to me all the evidence points in the same direction.

'It is mephedrone and cocaine toxicity. It can easily be because Synestra had lost her tolerance.

'It could be that it just happened on that day because her heart was just not strong enough to withstand it. I can't say exactly how she died without a doubt, but it is drug-related.'

Synestra had be a star pupil of St Christopher's school in Letchworth, Hertfordshire (pictured)

Former students of the £30,000-a-year school include broadcaster Michael Winner and writer AA Gill

Speaking outside of court, Synestra's mother Amanda, an independent finance broker, said the NHS was partly to blame for her daughter's death.

'I think part of her depression and Synestra's struggle was the effect of trying to get the GPs to take her seriously and to refer her,' she said.

A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM ETON AND HARROW: THE PRINCIPLES OF ST CHRISTOPHER SCHOOL

Staff and pupils at St Christopher are required to eat no meat, there is no school uniform and pupils address teachers by their first names, rather than as 'Sir' or 'Miss'.

The school was founded in 1915 'to promote understanding amongst students of other cultures and religions' and create an environment 'where all children are celebrated as individuals, regardless of their particular abilities'.

Their website states the school's principles are based 'not on the sameness of children, their conformity to type, but on their differences'.

'There is definitely discrimination in the NHS against transgenderism. I know there is work being done by politicians to change this, and transgenderism is being looked at as an issue.

'Her drug dependence started in two ways. I think firstly it was because she was depressed and found solace there.

'The drugs calmed her anxiety and she became much more dependent than we realised.

'She and Jonathan were just great together and were planning a future, so we all know that she was not in any way considering suicide.

'And having been clean from the drugs for a while and having come off of them successfully, probably her tolerance levels were weakened, and this might have been an accident waiting to happen.

'There are a lot of things that could have happened differently when she first realised she had issues. We would just like to see transgender people having a proper say over their own sexuality and gender.'

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