Coroner's dire warning after man's drink and drugs death

While Ryan Maguire had problems with alcohol, there was nothing to suggest he would turn to drugs, an inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court heard.

The 36-year-old was found dead in the bathroom at his home on Malvern Avenue in Atherton on Sunday, July 16.

Police found snap bags containing traces of brown powder, thought to be street heroin, in the bathroom and another snap bag of brown powder in his bedroom.

Tests carried out after his death showed that Mr Maguire had high levels of alcohol in his body and substances including cocaine and morphine from heroin.

Following a post-mortem examination, the pathologist recorded the medical cause of his death as mixed morphine (heroin) and alcohol toxicity.

The inquest heard Mr Maguire had told his GP in 2015 that his relationship had ended after four years and he was sleeping in his car, as he did not want his parents to know.

He was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder, given anti-depressants and referred to mental health services.

He also had issues with alcohol, described by the coroner as alcohol dependency syndrome.

He had started to receive support from the charity Addaction and other services.

Several professionals involved in Mr Maguire’s care told the inquest that he repeatedly said he did not take drugs and there was nothing to suggest he would.

His parents also told the hearing that they had no idea he was using illegal substances.

The inquest heard that Mr Maguire was last seen by a friend on Monday, July 10, and a neighbour thought she had seen him two days later.

Assistant coroner Timothy Brennand decided to record the date of his death as Wednesday, July 12, as no-one saw or heard from him after that day.

He ruled that Mr Maguire’s death was drug and alcohol-related.

He said: “What is significant to me is that the recreational use of cocaine, in combination with the quantity of heroin, demonstrated that Ryan was clearly experimenting with the use of class A drugs.

“That was a lethal foray into the world of class A drugs.

“Heroin brings about death, can bring about degradation and brings abject misery to those who are left to pick up the pieces.”

Mr Brennand offered his sincere condolences to Mr Maguire’s family.