Overview

• He bought five exotic spiders online two to three weeks before his death, overcoming a long-standing fear of insects, according to his family.
• His family reported that a bite from one spider preceded a night away in Scotland, where he first felt unwell.
• Paramedics who responded to his Knowsley flat on August 2 were unable to revive the father of two after his collapse.
• A post-mortem has so far failed to confirm the cause of death, leaving the case under investigation.
• Relatives are calling on authorities to require licenses and introduce stricter oversight of online exotic pet vendors to prevent similar incidents.