Mother of poisoning victim says she knew she would die

Lawyer Simone White succumbed to the effects of methanol while backpacking in Laos with two of her childhood friends

- HOLLY EVANS

The mother of a London lawyer who died after drinking contaminated vodka while travelling in Laos has recalled her “horrendous” journey to be at her daughter’s bedside.

Simone White, 28, had been backpacking with two childhood friends at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng when she became seriously unwell after accepting a shot of alcohol. Five others also died.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, her mother Sue White said: “I knew when I had that phone call – I don’t know what it was, call it a mother’s intuition – but I knew that she was going to die.”

Simone was taken in for surgery just as her mother arrived at the hospital after a 16-hour journey from Heathrow. It later became clear that her brain function was gone, and she died on Thursday 21 November.