A man who battled addiction and severe breathing problems died after taking a cocktail of prescription and illegal drugs, an inquest heard.

Senior coroner Ian Arrow presided over the inquest of John Waterfield, who was found in his home in North Road West on February 22 this year after concerns for his welfare.

The inquest at Plymouth Coroner's Court heard how the 43-year-old former handyman had suffered life-long asthma, was a smoker and developed severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

In December 2017 Plymouth Live reported on how Mr Waterfield was left for 15 days over Christmas without money after a cashpoint fault. He had attempted to draw £210 from a cashpiont at a store near his home but due to a fault no money was dispensed. When he attempted again, the machine claimed it had paid out the money and it had been deducted from his account.

The inquest was heard at HM Coroner Court and Office
HM Coroner Court and Office

At the time Mr Waterfield said that the money was to pay for his Christmas shopping. The ATM company confirmed the fault and apologised after he was made to wait 15 days for repayment.

He told Plymouth Live: "I used to own my own car valeting business but I stopped working when I was diagnosed with COPD three years ago. I'm a dying man."

In a statement from his GP the inquest heard how Mr Waterfield had a drug misuse history which dated back to when he was in his teens. His breathing issues were so profound he was recently being considered for a lung transplant, but was ruled out because he continued smoking and was using methadone. In addition, he had previously screen positive for cannabis and crack cocaine.

The GP, Dr Andy Potter said how on February 20 Mr Waterfield's brother brought him to the surgery as he was struggling to breathe. However, he refused to attend A&E and the GP noted that at the time of his death he was a series of prescription drugs including aspirin, diazepam, mintazapine, an inhaler and alprazolam.

A statement from the Harbour rehabilitation centre was read out which noted that Mr Waterfield was known to staff for a "significant period of time". At one stage he successfully stopped using methadone when he moved away from Plymouth and was "always amenable when working with Harbour workers."

John Waterfield - who died in his home in February this year

A statement from South Western Ambulance Service Trust was read out, noting how Mr Waterfield was found in bed, deceased. They noted there were no evidence of drugs or drug paraphernalia around him.

They added that he was seen by his GP two days before his death, and by a friend in the early hours of the previous day.

A post mortem determined that the cause of death was drug misuse which led to a pulmonary embolism. A toxicology reported found traces of heroin and methadone at potentially toxic levels, as well as a number of other prescription drugs at therapeutic levels.

In conclusion, senior coroner Ian Arrow noted that the combination of the drugs had affected the central nervous system, compromising Mr Waterfield's breathing. He said that he was satisfied the evidence suggested that if Mr Waterfield "hat not taken those drugs he would not have died" and as such recorded a conclusion of a drug related death.