A dad with a 'heart of gold' was found dead in bed with his girlfriend after taking a cocktail of drugs, an inquest has heard. James Acton, 41, and Zoe Hamilton, 28, were discovered together in the bedroom of her home in Failsworth on December 28.
The body of a third person, Andrew Smith, 39, was also found in the same room. An inquest at Rochdale Coroners Court today (Monday) heard that Mr Acton's daughter had phoned police several times to raise concerns for his welfare.
The hearing was told that Mr Acton and Ms Hamilton's relationship had been a 'tumultuous' one and that a report of assault had been made against Mr Acton following a domestic incident on December 23.
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He was arrested but was later released with no further action to be taken. Police twice visited Ms Hamilton's address between December 26 and 28 after Mr Acton's daughter, Kasey, raised concerns that she was unable to contact her father.
However, officers failed to get a response when they knocked on the door. A concerned family member of Ms Hamilton's went round to the property in Oldham Road on the afternoon of December 28 and found Mr Acton and Ms Hamilton unresponsive in bed. Mr Smith was in a sleeping bag nearby, the inquest heard.
Emergency services were called and Mr Acton was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Toxicologist Mark Tyler told the hearing that a variety of drugs were found in samples of Mr Acton's blood and urine.
These included alcohol, amphetamines, methadone, diazepam and pregabalin. However, he said the most significant was the presence of methadone, which produced the same effects as heroin.
Pathologist Dr Philip Lumb gave Mr Acton's cause of death as 'polydrug toxicity and pneumonia'. He said the combination of drugs would have acted in a 'complex manner' and would likely have caused 'physiological chaos' within Mr Acton's body.
Dr Lumb explained that Mr Acton would then have lost consciousness before developing pneumonia. "It's the only plausible cause of death in this case," he said.
Detective Inspector Rachel Smith, from Greater Manchester Police, said a number of tests were carried out at the scene. These included carbon monoxide poisoning and an investigation into a possible suicide pact.
Both of these theories were ruled out and DI Smith said there was no sign any altercation had taken place, or of any suspicious circumstances in Mr Acton's death.
Katie Acton, James's younger sister, told the inquest that her brother had struggled at school due to what she believe was 'undiagnosed ADHD'. She explained that he previously worked as a claims handler but began to use illicit drugs during a spell in prison several years ago.
However, she described him as a 'free spirit' who loved listening to rap music, Oasis and supported Manchester City.
"Everyone got on with him," Ms Acton added. "He had a heart of gold.
"He was a very funny and hilarious man. He adored his two daughters."
Concluding that Mr Acton's was a 'drug related death', assistant coroner Lisa Judge said he had taken a 'variety of illicit drugs, medication and alcohol'.
She added: "The precise cocktail and quantity of drugs, and over what period is unknown and cannot be established. What can be established is that the combination of drugs taken and severe lung disease caused James Acton's death."
Following the inquest, Mr Acton's family paid tribute to a 'much loved dad, son, brother and friend'. In a statement, his sister, Katie; brother, David; and daughter, Kasey, said: "Today's inquest may not have given our family the total closure we wanted but we are pleased to be able to let James finally lay to rest peacefully after a long 19 months.
"We do not want people to remember James as the man they read about in the papers. We want them to remember the intelligent, humorous and witty man he was.
"The man that loved Manchester City, Oasis and loved chatting conspiracy stories with his friends. He was a much loved dad, son, brother and friend and he is eternally missed by us all."
Inquests into the deaths of Ms Hamilton and Mr Smith were held back in March. Ms Hamilton's death was also ruled to be 'drug related' with Dr Lumb stating that the combined effects of a cocktail of drugs triggering fatal pneumonia were the most likely cause.
Meanwhile, Mr Smith's cause of death was found to be 'polydrug toxicity and pulmonary tuberculosis'.
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