Fatal overdose ended the life of a devoted son

HE STARTED USING DRUGS AFTER MOTORBIKE ACCIDENT

A DEVOTED son who was caring for his sick mother died after overdosing on methadone and morphine, his inquest has heard.

Simon Holmes was found collapsed on the bedroom floor of the bungalow he shared with his mum, Linda, in Princess Street, Swadlincote, and later died at Burton’s Queen’s Hospital.

His inquest, held at Derby Coroner’s Court yesterday, heard the 43-year-old had been receiving help from substance misuse services for his heroin addiction and had been taking methadone – a medical substitute often used to ween users off the Class A drug.

His sister, Lucy Sharp, told the inquest she was very close to her brother and they were part of a close family.

When he died in July 2020, he was caring for his mum, who had been diagnosed with cancer and died later in the year.

Mrs Sharp said it was always suspected Mr Holmes had mental health issues and he would sometimes become aggressive.

She said: “He worshipped my mum, but at some times they did get on each other’s nerves. They were like chalk and cheese. He just got on with life and my mum was his main focus.”

Mrs Sharp told how Mr Holmes had a bad motorbike accident in 1995, which left him with serious injuries and unable to work.

It was this that led him to start smoking cannabis for the pain, but he later turned to heroin.

He always smoked it and never injected, she said. He would smoke one (dose) a day, but if he was really down, he would have a second.

In August 2015, he started getting help from Addaction, which supports people with substance misuse issues, and Mrs Sharp said he was very open with them.

Mr Holmes was taken to hospital after a seizure about a month before his death.

There, he was reminded of the dangers of taking methadone with heroin. He left hospital as soon as he was able to and without his discharge letter.

It was when he was in hospital after another seizure that Mrs Sharp found bottles of unopened methadone which Mr Holmes had not taken.

Mrs Sharp said: “I think he just disregarded medical advice. I couldn’t have faulted the hospital staff for the care they gave in the high-dependency unit – it was outstanding. I said there was no use prolonging his life as I knew he wasn’t coming round.

“The last time I spoke to him was the night before he died and we were laughing and joking on the phone.

“He could make me literally cry with laughter – that was the person he was.”

Dr Joanna Rutledge, a consultant pathologist, said a post-mortem and toxicology report found Mr Holmes had died from morphine and methadone toxicity, which shows he had taken heroin before the seizure.

The levels found would have led to fatalities in even those with a high tolerance level. A police investigation found there were no suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement.

Assistant coroner Julie Robertson said she had to consider whether Mr Holmes intended to take a fatal overdose, adding she was mindful of his low moods, but he had no history of selfharm. She concluded that Mr Holmes was devoted to his mum and would not deliberately end his life while caring for her.

Miss Robertson said he did not always take the methadone prepared for him and then would take the previously safe doses with heroin, which led to seizures.

She recorded a verdict of misadventure, adding that he intended to take the drugs, but not to end his life. The medical cause of death was morphine and methadone toxicity.