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Haredi philanthropist took cocaine before fatal crash, U.K. inquest finds
By Yair Ettinger
Tags: ultra-orthodox, britain 

Traces of cocaine were found in the body of a renowned ultra-Orthodox philanthropist who was killed in a car accident six months ago, according to an investigation carried out by British police.

Benzion Dunner, 45, a father of nine from the wealthy North London neighborhood of Golders Green, had apparently been under the influence of the drug when he decided to drive two of his sons and a family friend to a holiday home in Bournemouth, in the south of England.

The circumstances leading up to the accident remained mysterious until newspapers in Britain this week reported the results of an inquest into the crash.
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The investigation found that Dunner, who lost control of his Bentley while overtaking another vehicle at 130 km/h, had taken cocaine prior to the incident. Dunner was killed instantly after his car slid down an embankment and ploughed into a tree. His passengers and the two men traveling in the other vehicle escaped with minor injuries.

Two days before the accident Dunner threw a Purim party at his London home. His relatives said he was "writing checks until 4 in the morning," that amounted to more than 2 million pounds. His funeral was attended by 3,000 mourners.

The inquest relied on the testimony of a toxicologist who claimed to have found traces of cocaine in Dunner's blood and urine.

Asked if the cocaine would have affected the victim's driving, the Bournemouth coroner Mr. Sheriff Payne told the Daily Mail: "Sure, yes."

After his death, Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks paid tribute to Dunner, saying he was "an outstanding exemplar of Jewish values and Jewish responsibility...whose work was done quietly behind the scenes and was all the more impressive for that.
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  1.   Benzion Dunner 15:12  |  Shadoil 08/08/08
  2.   COCAINE 15:32  |  JEHIEL CHALEFF 08/08/08
  3.   This is the police that killed a brazilian mistaking him for an.. 16:29  |  Alain 08/08/08
  4.   MORAL:DONT DRINK OR COKE AND DRIVE EVEN IF YOU GIVE LOT OF ZEDAQA 16:36  |  THE VOICE))) 08/08/08
  5.   Did he at least recite the bracha ? 16:37  |  co-cockin` uffn yam 08/08/08
  6.   Benzion z.l. 16:57  |  Motic 08/08/08
  7.   Shameful 21:18  |  Mike 08/08/08
  8.   Shameful 21:18  |  Mike 08/08/08
  9.   The important question 21:42  |  Mark Lincoln 08/08/08
  10.   Cocaine may have helped him see god 21:58  |  Its true 08/08/08
  11.   mistake 00:10  |  a jew 09/08/08
  12.   haman tash 00:14  |  eli 09/08/08
  13.   yeah 01:21  |  ilan 09/08/08
  14.   IT WAS STRICTLY COSHER 02:25  |  AMI 09/08/08
  15.   mistake 03:11  |  cc 09/08/08
  16.   Shadoil - you are paranoid 17:54  |  Charlie 10/08/08
  17.   Shadoil - sources 19:13  |  Charlie 10/08/08
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