MUM’S ANGUISH OVER DEATH OF ‘LOVELY’ SON

Man found friend dead in his house after a cocktail of drugs

TROUBLED Sean Anderson was found dead in his bedroom after taking a cocktail of drugs.

The 48-year-old was pronounced dead by paramedics after a friend raised the alarm.

An inquest has heard Mr Anderson – who had a long-standing drug problem – had been staying at a friend’s house in Davis Street, Shelton, since losing his flat.

Friend Wayne Dowley was the last person to see Mr Anderson alive on November 13 last year.

In a statement, Mr Dowley said: “Sean was sat on the sofa and seemed his usual self. He didn’t appear to be under the influence of anything.

“I asked him if he was okay. He said he was upset about the death of his partner.

“He said he would be okay, he just needed to work through it.”

It is thought Mr Anderson had gone out to buy drugs when he left the house that morning. He later returned and was asleep in his room when Mr Dowley went to check on him at 1pm. He checked on him again at 5.50pm and Mr Anderson was in the same position.

Mr Dowley added: “I shouted his name and got no reply. I tried to wake him by shaking his shoulders. He didn’t reply. I called an ambulance.

“When the ambulance arrived the paramedics were upstairs with him for half-an-hour. They then came downstairs and told me he had passed away.”

Police found drugs paraphernalia in Mr Anderson’s room. They concluded there were no suspicious circumstances.

Tests showed he had several prescribed drugs in his system, as well as cocaine and heroin.

His cause of death was recorded as ‘combined opiate and cocaine toxicity and bronchopneumonia’.

It is thought Mr Anderson first started taking drugs in his early 20s.

In a statement, mum Susan Anderson said: “We spoke to him many times about the drugs and tried to get him treatment. He was a lovely lad.

“He had a nice flat in Hanley which we did up for him. Eventually he lost it. He suffered numerous medical problems as a result of his drug use.”

Assistant coroner Sarah Murphy concluded Mr Anderson’s death was due to a combination of drug use and natural causes.

She said: “It’s very clear that Mr Anderson’s parents tried extremely hard to help their son overcome his problems with drug addiction and, very sadly, they were unable to.

“It appears there was nothing more they could have done to help him, and I’m very sorry for their loss.”