A MAN was found dead in his flat after taking too much of his medication.

Neil Goodall, from Rylands Drive, Brighton, was unemployed and had longstanding mental and physical health issues.

An inquest into his death heard the 52-year-old had problems with substance misuse and was receiving help from drug addiction support group Pavilions in Brighton.

A member of its staff called police after not seeing Mr Goodall for a few days.

Officers went round to his home where he was found dead on a mattress in his sitting room.

The post-mortem showed Mr Goodall, who was found on December 3, had overdosed on his prescribed painkillers.

The inquest heard this consumption of excessive medication will have led to respiratory failure which killed him.

Mr Goodall suffered from severe ulcers on his body.

He failed to dress them and look after them properly which affected his physical health.

He had regular visits from community support work groups run by the NHS and the Brighton and Hove City Council to help him with his physical and mental wellbeing.

The inquest, held at Brighton and Hove coroner’s court, heard his home was often found in a messy state and he led a chaotic lifestyle.

Debbie Shipperly, care support manager from the council’s community service Independence At Home, told the court Mr Goodall struggled to engage with them.

She said he was often out and made it quite clear he did not want their help in the house.

Mr Goodall’s niece Sophie Rimes told the inquest: “He didn’t want to change. I would say throughout his life he spent more time being depressed then being happy. He didn’t want to get better. I didn’t think he would take his own life, that never seemed to be a concern.”

The court heard support staff visiting his home said he took more medication than he was prescribed.

Notebooks were found in his flat at the time of his death.

Assistant coroner for Brighton and Hove Catharine Palmer said they included “thoughts” written by Mr Goodall before he died.

He had recently lost his father and his notes included: “I am sorry I wish I was a better son.”

Mrs Palmer recorded the cause of death as drug toxicity from consuming a combination of too many painkillers.

She said: “I will include his poly-substance misuse, his low moods and poor physical health as significant contributory factors to his death.”

She said there was not enough evidence to suggest Mr Goodhall had taken his own life or whether he had accidently consumed too many pills.

She concluded: “Neil Goodall died from a combination of prescribed medication in circumstances where he had neglected his physical health.”