A 60-year-old Gloucester man collapsed and died outside a drug den after taking a cocktail of heroin, morphine, methadone, codeine and alcohol, an inquest heard today.
Roger Hawker, of St Catherine's street, Gloucester had been taking drugs and drinking cider with two other men in a Worcester Street flat on September 6, last year, Gloucestershire Coroner's Court was told.
Detective Sergeant Hannah Matthews said that initially the two other men – Peter Bull and Benjamin Tooth – were arrested on suspicion of administering noxious substances but there was insufficient evidence for the matter to be proceeded with.
Assistant coroner for Gloucestershire David Dooley said: "Police were called to the rear of the Coach and Horses public house at around 10.26pm and paramedics declared Mr Hawker dead at the scene.
"The three men had been drinking and taking drugs in the flat and the deceased had been sick and so they walked him outside for 'a breath of fresh air'.
"But he collapsed and an ambulance was called."
A toxicology report revealed that Mr Hawker had methadone, alcohol, heroin, codeine and morphine in his blood which, according to Mr Dooley, had "a drastic and fatal" effect.
He concluded a drug-related death.
