A WREXHAM man died as a result of the cocktail of prescription drugs he had been taking, an inquest has heard.

David Jon Platt, 32, of Crescent Close in Caia Park was found unresponsive in the Johnstown home of his partner Lisa Myers at around 11.30 pm on February 3 this year. Despite being rushed to hospital by paramedics, Mr Platt, who had suffered a cardiac arrest, was pronounced dead shortly after midnight at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

John Gittins, coroner for North Wales (East and Central) told the hearing at Wrexham Guildhall how Mr Platt had suffered from depression for many years, following the death of his brother, a problem made worse by a dependency on alcohol.

A statement provided to the court by Mr Platt’s mother Ann, revealed that he found it impossible to have just one or two drinks, with his heavy drinking often leading to him being full of regret and remorse the next day. She went on to say that although he hadn’t drank for more than a year prior to his death, he had replaced his problem with alcohol with an over-reliance on various prescription drugs.

The inquest also heard that Mr Platt had spent 8 months in prison at HMP Berwyn, between April-December 2018, with Mr Gittins adding how he had been “economical with the truth” upon his release when telling his GP about how much medication he was taking when being held in custody.

Despite a request for copy of his medical records from the prison services, no evidence was ever provided to his GP to show exactly what medication he was actually prescribed while behind bars.

In a statement read out in court by Dr Tim Davies of Hillcrest Medical Centre in Wrexham, it was revealed how Mr Platt had been prescribed Pregabalin, a drug that is used to treat epilepsy and anxiety, after he told the GP how it was the only medication that helped with his feelings of anxiousness.

A post-mortem examination carried out by pathologist Dr Mared Owen-Casey revealed the levels of Pregabalin found in Mr Platt’s body were at a toxic level, while other drugs such as Diazapam and Paracetamol led to a mixed drug toxicity which resulted in him suffering cardiac respiratory failure.

In reaching a conclusion of death by way of misadventure, Mr Gittins said Mr Platt clearly thought he was “doing the right thing” but that he had been taken more medication than what he should.