A HOMELESS man was found dead in a public toilet after drug overdose.
William Morrow entered the toilet at The Level in April this year and went into a cubicle to take heroin.
But the 45-year-old Scot, who had recently completed a detox, is believed to have overdosed accidentally.
At his inquest yesterday he was described as an “extremely likeable” person, but had been homeless on and off for nearly 15 years in Brighton.
The court was told that he had been making progress on rehabilitation for drug and alcohol dependency, but had relapsed shortly before his death.
On Friday, April 4 a cleaner spotted him walking into the toilets at 3.55pm, and then when he did not come out 20 minutes later, went to check.
After asking if Mr Morrow was alright, he got no response, and when he opened the cubicle door with the master key he found the 45-year-old slumped forward resting on his face.
Paramedics and police were called, and adrenaline was given, but Mr Morrow was declared dead shortly afterwards.
Inside his mouth they found a needle cap, and they also found a syringe on the floor, and a post mortem examination by Dr Mark Taylor found he had a severe level of opiates in his blood.
Coroner Catherine Palmer said that addicts who have recently undergone rehabilitation can sometimes underestimate their tolerance to drugs if they relapse.
She also said that the variation in the strength of street heroin may also have been a factor which led to Mr Morrow’s death.
At the conclusion, she said Mr Morrow had died of a drug related misadventure.
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