Infection from drug use led to sad death of Wigan dad

David Dillon, who was a known drug user, was found dead at his home in Platt Bridge on September 17

While tests showed he had taken drugs, including cocaine, paracetamol, methadone and oxycodone, the inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court heard they did not cause his death.

Instead a post-mortem examination found Mr Dillon died from aortic valve bacterial endocarditis - an infection caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream and settling on the heart.

This was found to have been caused by an abscess in his groin from intravenous drug use.

Recording a conclusion of drug-related death, coroner Prof Dr Alan Walsh said: “I am at pains to stress it is not the actual drugs that caused the death, but the effect of using intravenous drugs that led to the infections that led to death.

“It has to be a severe warning to anybody who takes intravenous drugs that you may not die from the drugs themselves, but the means of taking the drugs, as infections can cause death.”

The inquest heard Mr Dillon had three children and had worked as a forklift truck driver for supermarkets.

He had used drugs since he was 19. He had periods of being drug-free, but would return to them after something triggered him, such as the death of his father.

He previously received support from Addaction, but could not be contacted by the organisation - now named We Are With You - in the summer after making a self-referral for help in June.

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