THE DEATH of a popular Flintshire man is "entirely unexplained", an inquest heard.

Gavin Paul Florence, aged 32, died at his flat on Powell Road in Buckley on October 21, 2022.

At County Hall in Ruthin on Wednesday (May 17), an inquest was held into the forklift driver's death. 

It was told that Mr Florence had been suffering with ill health following a battle with Covid-19 - which had left him hospitalised in intensive care for 10 days in 2021. 

Mr Florence had a history of kidney failure and was also addicted to ketamine. Despite efforts to get himself off the drug, Mr Florence had gone back to using ketamine after the loss of three of his close friends. 

The inquest heard that in the weeks running up to his death, Mr Florence had become more reclusive - choosing to stay at home when he was usually out socialising. 

A concerned friend, Sam Fairclough, broke into Mr Florence's flat the day before his death.

Inside the flat, Mr Fairclough found buckets of excrement and both he and Karen Vale, Mr Florence's mother who also attended the flat that day, urged him to go to hospital - which he promised to do the next day.

The next day, another friend went to check on Mr Florence but was unable to unlock the door to his flat. Later that day, Mr Fairclough again attended the Powell Road property, forcing entry with the assistance of two friends. 

Inside, Mr Fairclough found Mr Florence "hunched" over his bed. He called for an ambulance and attempted CPR, but upon attendance of paramedics he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. 

A post-mortem examination which took place on October 25 found no issues with any of Mr Florence's vital organs - including his kidneys. 

The only findings of note were mild hepatitis of the liver, minimal evidence of pneumonia and ketamine, morphine and another prescribed drug - all at low levels. None of these factors could have caused Mr Florence's death - which was recorded as unascertained, the inquest was told. 

Kate Sutherland, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, described it as an "entirely unexplained" death. She recorded an open conclusion. 

Mrs Vale said Mr Florence "had never been the same" since his battle with Covid, but she "doesn't understand" why he died. 

She described him as having "lived life to the full", and said her son would "do anything for anyone".

Mr Fairclough added that he will be "very sadly missed".