Blackpool man, 28, found unresponsive in his bed with several substances in his system

A coroner returned a conclusion of misadventure on a 28-year-old man who was found dead in bed at his home in Blackpool.

Jacob Billington, a highways operative of Shelbourne Road, was said at the inquest into his death to have gotten up and gone downstairs to prepare a drink at 5am on January 7. But, several hours later after going back to bed, he was found unresponsive.

A post-mortem found evidence of several substances in his system, including fentanyl, morphine, cocaine and un-prescribed Diazepam.

There was also evidence, the hearing at Blackpool Town Hall heard, of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, which his family said could have been congenital, as his father had had a heart problem.

Medical evidence suggested that the presence of the drugs were likely to have weakened the heart.

But the family had also also indicated to the coroner that there had been no evidence to them that Jacob had been taking drugs and that the presence of the substances in his system found at the post mortem had come as a total shock.

It was also reported in evidence to the coroner that Jacob had been suffering from a bad cough in the days up to his death, which it was felt could also gave weakened his heart.

But he had been in good spirits the evening before his death, making a meal for his mother and girlfriend, and had gone downstairs to the kitchen for refreshment at 5am before returning to bed.

Ruling out a conclusion of “drug-related death” and returning one of misadventure, Blackpool and Fylde senior coroner Alan Wilson, said it was not possible to tell whether the use of the drugs in his system was a one-off or had been happening frequently.

There was no suggestion that the levels which resulted in his death had been intentional.

Mr Wilson said it was “a sad set or circumstances”, adding: “Jacob was clearly much loved and his death came as a great shock to everyone, with no indication beforehand of drug use.”