Alcoholic in hostel took toxic level of prescription drugs

Man choked on vomit shortly after jail release

An alcoholic who downed drink and pills died at a Canterbury hostel after choking on vomit just a week after leaving prison.

Andrew Bruce, 29, was found on his bed at Guildford Lodge in Nunnery Fields last year, surrounded by empty packets of medication and a bottle of drink.

An inquest at Canterbury Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday (Wednesday) that Mr Bruce, who had been arrested more than 40 times for alcohol-related crimes, had toxic levels of two prescription drugs in his system.

Mr Bruce was also twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Coroner James Dillon was told that Mr Bruce had been released from HMP Lewes on April 2, 2015, and had gone back to Guildford Lodge, a residential centre oper- ated by homeless charity Porchlight.

On the evening of April 9 he returned to the 11-room building claiming he had “conned” his GP into prescribing him extra pills.

Security guard Joe Goodhew said he passed Mr Bruce’s room on the second floor at 7am on April 10 and heard him snoring inside. By 2pm, however, no one had seen him and staff entered his room to find him dead on the bed.

Karl Roger was one of the first paramedics to arrive, entering the room at just after 2.10pm.

He said: “Mr Bruce was unresponsive and showing signs incompatible with life. His eyes were fixed and there were empty packets of a prescription drug around him, as well as a bottle of some description.”

Det Sgt Nick Borda, who investigated the death, said Mr Bruce had been known to police since 2001: “He had been arrested 40 times, mostly for drunk and dis- orderly and theft. It was disclosed to us that he had said he conned his GP into giving him more medication. There were no signs of a disturbance or that his room at Guildford Lodge had been forced open, but his sister has claimed that the police and coroner tried to cover up his death.

“The most likely hypothesis is that the deceased took an overdose of medication and alcohol, causing him to choke on vomit.”

Pathologist Andrew Rainey gave the medical cause of death as vomit blocking the airways and mouth and toxic levels of the anti-psychotic drug Olanzapine and Pregabalin, which is used to treat people suffering from alcohol withdrawal. Dr Rainey added that the death was coupled with a history of alcohol abuse.

Mr Dillon ruled that Mr Bruce died after a history of alcohol addiction and having taken excessive amounts of prescription medication.