A former heroin addict has been cleared of causing the death of his girlfriend.

Simon Gold was accused of injecting Lorraine Shepherd with the drug.

He was charged with her manslaughter but his trial was halted yesterday after experts agreed the heroin alonemaynothave killed her.

Miss Shepherd, 31, already had high levels of the anti-depressant drug amitriptyline in her blood when she died.

Mr Gold, 29, woke to find her already dead after they had taken heroin together at her home in Cranworth Road, Worthing, in November 2009.

He walked free after formal not guilty verdicts were recorded on the second day of his trial at Lewes Crown Court.

Mr Gold said: “I came here to be accountable because I felt responsible for what happened to Lorraine.

“I am truly remorseful to her family but I want to make it clear that I did not inject her.”

He told The Argus that he has now turned his life around and is helping other drug users to kick their habits.

Mr Gold, of Kingsway,Hove, added: “I have been clean for over a year now and I am devoting my whole life to preventing anything like this happening in the future.”

“My heart goes out to Lorraine’s family and I am sure they are deeply saddened by the whole thing.”

The jury was told that Mr Gold gave police a prepared statement when he was interviewed after his arrest.

Jonathan Davies, prosecuting, said Mr Gold stated that Miss Shepherd had given him a syringe with heroin in it.

He said he had not used it all and she had decided to use some of what was left. He said he woke to find her blue and not breathing with the syringe sticking out of her arm.

MrGold later told his father that he had given her the heroin and this had been misunderstood that he had injected her with it.

Lewis Power, QC, defending, asked Jeffrey Gold: “He did not actually tell you he had injected her, did he? “ Mr Gold replied: “No. I assumed he had injected her because that is how he takes it himself.”

Miss Shepherd’s family left court before the jury was discharged and was not available for comment.

Judge Richard Brown told jurors: “I have no doubt her family and friends have been devastated by what has occurred.”