A man who was reportedly the last individual to see a drag queen alive, following a contentious sexual encounter, had his assertions dismissed by a coroner.
Darren Meah-Moore, aged 39, was discovered deceased in a laneway in Cardiff city center on January 22, 2023. Mr. Meah-Moore, a drag queen known from RuPaul’s Drag Race, had interactions with men before departing a nightclub and encountering a man with his dog, as detailed in Pontypridd Coroner’s Court.
The person who claimed to be the final witness to the drag artist alive alleged that both engaged in intimate activities, including the involvement of the dog, which Mr. Meah-Moore purportedly encouraged.
It was further contended that the drag queen fell asleep, and the individual covered him with cardboard for warmth. However, Coroner David Regan dismissed this narrative of events.
The coroner disclosed that the drag queen and the man crossed paths on Queen Street, Cardiff, at 5:49 am. Prior to that encounter, Meah-Moore was reported to have had at least one other sexual liaison that evening and had jestingly mentioned an intention to engage in oral sex with a male.
The coroner elaborated that the drag queen followed the man and his dog into a laneway, disappearing from view for approximately 30 minutes as they made their way towards a secluded area. There was no evidence suggesting any non-consensual activity during that time.
The coroner stated that the man reappeared without his dog after eight minutes, then went back to the laneway with cardboard. However, Darren did not emerge from that location.
Concluding a week-long inquiry, Coroner Regan expressed skepticism about the man’s claim that he covered the 39-year-old with cardboard to keep him warm after he drifted off following their encounter.
Regarding the dog’s involvement, guided by medical expert testimonies, Mr. Regan remarked that it would be highly improbable for the dog to engage in such behavior with a human without some form of direction and encouragement.
The coroner also doubted the spontaneity of the dog joining in the alleged sexual activity between the pair in the Cardiff laneway. He cited a lack of evidence regarding whether Mr. Meah-Moore, who had a dog allergy, had desired the dog’s participation.
He dismissed the man’s account of the dog’s actions as spontaneous and inconclusive about how it occurred. The coroner emphasized the absence of evidence supporting or disproving the deceased seeking such contact with the dog.
Addressing the cause of Meah-Moore’s demise, the coroner clarified that there was no indication of trauma or natural disease as the causal factor. He mentioned an inconclusive link between arrhythmia and dog penetration.
The coroner noted that medical professionals did not rule out arrhythmia from an unknown cause, leading to an open conclusion in the case.
