ONLINE: macclesfield-express.co.uk EMAIL: macclesfieldexpress@menmedia.co.uk Drug user died after overdose

ADRUG user left devastated after a heroin overdose killed his partner eventually died the same way, an inquest heard.

Lee Gosling passed away after overdosing on the drug at his flat, on Sunnybank Close, Macclesfield, in August last year, a coroner ruled.

The unemployed father, who had battled an addiction to heroin for almost 20 years, was left ‘beset by grief’ after his girlfriend, 34-year-old Celia Billinge, died in the same flat just three months before his death, the coroner said.

On the day of Ms Billinge’s death Mr Gosling also overdosed but survived, the coroner was told.

His brother, Michael Gosling, told the inquest that sometimes Lee would give up drugs, but always returned to taking heroin.

He said: “I knew he had a drug problem but I was not aware of the full extent of it. Sometimes it would be day after day, sometimes he would not be using at all.

“I knew it was a problem and he knew he had a problem. He also used to drink alcohol most days and he was embarrassed about it.

Michael told the hearing that his brother had had a partner before he started his relationship with Ms Billinge and they had a child together.

He said: “He split with the mother of his daughter and he went downhill from there. It was a spiral I suppose.

“He knew we were there for him but he just would not open up at all, he would bottle it up.

“When Celia died of an overdose he took badly.

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“He could not face being in the flat because she died in it. He used to say he did not live he just existed.”

Mr Gosling’s body was found after neighbours became concerned when they had not seen him for a few days, the inquest heard.

In a written statement one of Mr Gosling’s neighbours and friends said that he had forced the door open with his shoulder. After entering his flat he had found Mr Gosling in a position he described as ‘gone over’, which he said indicated he had taken heroin.

He said: “Once Lee had taken heroin in front of me and collapsed in what I would describe as a ‘gone over’ position.

“After entering the flat when he was discovered I found him in the bedroom. He was in the ‘gone over’ position.

“On the bedside table was drug ‘works’ - medical wipes and bags of caustic soda.

“I could tell he had passed away.”

An officer from Macclesfield told the hearing that a full investigation was launched by police after Mr Gosling’s death but it was found to be nonsuspicious.

And a home office pathologist’s report read out at the hearing determined that Mr Gosling had died of acute opiate toxicity from taking a fatal dose of heroin.

Concluding, assistant coroner for Cheshire Alan Moores, told the hearing that Mr Gosling’s death had been a tragic accident.

He said: “Lee Gosling died at his home address on or about August 27.

“The medical cause of death was acute heroin and alcohol toxicity. He died as the result of an accident. I don’t believe he intended to take his own life.”

‘He could not face being in the flat because she died in it. He used to say he did not live he just existed.”