Tributes have been paid to an East Lancashire man, who made a “big difference in the life of his partner's family”, following his death.
An inquest was held at Accrington Town Hall into the death of Michael Cleary, from Pendle.
The 45-year-old died earlier this year after he battled to get off methadone, having previously suffered from heroin addiction.
A statement from his partner, Lindsey, was read out by coroner Sian Jones.
It read: “Michael was a lovely chap who made a big difference in the life of you and your children, and a very caring person to you and to them throughout the time of your relationship.”
Michael had suffered from several conditions throughout his life, including epilepsy, which stemmed from a brain injury he suffered as a child.
He had also begun taking crack cocaine and heroin when he was 23, but had engaged with a substance misuse service, Inspire, and had been prescribed methadone.
However, as the substance had begun to “take over his life”, Michael had become determined to get off it and was trying to drastically reduce the dose.
To support him in getting off the drug and the associated withdrawal effects, he was prescribed medication.
Over time, Lindsey had become aware that he was taking quantities and would often suffer epileptic seizures as a result.
On the day before his death, he and Lindsey went on a trip to Blackpool, and Michael began not making sense and “talking gibberish”.
During the trip, he had spoken of his head being separate from his body, and he suffered a mini seizure, and Ms Jones heard that his behaviour was “notable and strange”.
The court also heard how Michael had previously become addicted to zopiclone, having been prescribed it whilst in a coma after suffering the effects of Covid-19.
Ms Jones said: “He had started to reduce his methadone by himself more than Inspire were aware of, without a stabilising period when his dose decreased.
“As far as Inspire were concerned, he was recently on a 10ml dose and wanted to stabilise on that, but his partner said he had reduced to 6.5ml, which was a significant drop.
“It would be unsurprising that he was suffering physical consequences of that. He had done well that he came off heroin and didn’t return to it.
“She [Lindsey] described the pattern when he would take huge quantities, and that was well in excess of anything that he would be prescribed.”
At the time of his death, Michael was said to have suffered a major seizure, and his teeth had fallen out, and his face had carpet burns on it.
Ms Jones returned the conclusion of drug-related death.
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