Drinking led to downward spiral

THE court heard Joseph O’Hanlon, known to friends as Joe, was a youth charity worker and magazine editor until drinking sent his life into a downward spiral.

At the time of his death he was a chronic alcoholic with poor mobility.

He was well-known for his generosity, and at the time of his death had given away about £6,000 of his workplace pension, fuelling concerns he was being exploited.

Drug users had been converging on his flat, and a police community support officer had to step in to stop him being evicted.

Former long-term partner Linda Healey told court she still loved Joe and saw him regularly, taking him to art galleries and for countryside walks, even though his drinking had led to them living apart.

She said he was ‘generous to a fault,’ and had been telling people, against her advice, about another £60,000 pension pot that was due to mature.

Describing the moment she found his lifeless body after calling round with food and family photos, she said: “I knocked on the door. I got no reply. I had my keys to the flat so I opened the door. I walked towards the living room and in front of the door Joe was lying on the floor with a yellow fleece around his head.

“I touched his hand and I knew instantly that he was dead because he was so, so cold.

“I went into the corridor for a moment, I was crying. I was in complete shock.”