Waterfoot dad died from a cocktail of drugs, inquest heard (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Waterfoot dad died from a cocktail of drugs, inquest heard

11:00pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in News

A FATHER-of-one died after taking a lethal cocktail of drugs, an inquest heard.

Andrew James Hartley, 49, of Bacup Road, Waterfoot, died with a mix of diazepam, alcohol, and morphine in his bloodstream, in August last year.

An inquest into his death was adjourned on January 17, to launch a witness appeal to find his ex-girlfriend Shelley Cooban.

Appearing at Burnley Magistrates’ Court, Ms Cooban told Coroner Richard Taylor that she met up with Mr Hartley after arranging to have a drink with him at his flat.

She told the inquest Mr Hartley had picked her up in his car the day before his death, before driving to buy them alcohol.

Miss Cooban said: “Andy was not a regular heroin user.

But, while I was at his flat, he asked me if I wanted ‘a dig’ – this I understand to mean take heroin.

I knew that taking heroin while drinking and taking diazepam, like we had been doing, was not a good idea, so I told him ‘no’.”

She said that she and Mr Hartley had words and she stormed out to clear her head.

When she returned to the flat some time later she said she found Mr Hartley lying on his bed surrounded by drug paraphernalia.

Mr Taylor said: “I have been left the only option of recording a verdict of accidental death. I have no doubt, from what you told me, about how Andrew was working hard to battle his alcohol addiction, and that he had no idea that this combination of drugs would end his life.”

His family questioned if an ‘unexplained’ puncture mark in his right hand could have been made by somebody else injecting him with morphine.

Speaking after the inquest, his family said: “Andy was not a junkie. He was a really good lad.

"He would have done anything for anyone.”