A 25-year-old accountant's death remains unexplained following an inquest. Connor Aherne was found dead on March 15 last year at his home in Caerphilly county with no drugs in his system or recent health problems.
Gwent Coroners' Court heard Mr Aherne lived with flatmate Kirsty Owen in Woodview Terrace in Crumlin. Coroner Caroline Saunders said Mr Aherne went to bed at around 10pm on March 14. The following morning his alarm tone could be heard by Ms Owen and sounded for some time, which prompted her to ring Mr Aherne. He did not answer but the alarm then stopped, which led Ms Owen to believe he had turned it off.
The alarm went off again at around 8am and Ms Owen opened Mr Aherne's door to find him unresponsive. She called paramedics who found Mr Aherne could not be revived. His death was confirmed at 8.20am. Police found no evidence of third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances.
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Ms Saunders said: "Connor had worked mainly in hospitality. He had worked in hotels from the age of 16, slowly working his way up into an accountancy role more recently. He was a cabin crew member – a job he had loved but unfortunately had to move on from during the pandemic. He became a financial consultant, which he also loved, and was doing an accountancy job."
Mr Aherne had been on a night out on March 13, staying with friends in Cardiff. He spent the following day – Mother's Day – with his family.
"He had a hangover and was sent to bed to sleep it off for a few hours," said Ms Saunders. "He and his brother then went to get food. He visited his grandparents and returned to spend time with his parents before leaving at around 6pm that evening. He was clearly still not feeling on top form. He was due to be sitting an accountancy exam on the morning of the 15th."
A post-mortem examination found no evidence of a heart attack, blood clot, infection, or diseased arteries. No drugs or alcohol were found in Mr Aherne's blood or urine. Although he had asthma his lungs were not hyperinflated.
The post-mortem report said it was possible the death was caused by a metabolic disturbance resulting from Mr Aherne's drinking session in Cardiff. But Ms Saunders said there was no evidence of an underlying cardiac problem.
The coroner recorded an open conclusion although she said there was a "possibility" the death was linked to the recent alcohol intake. She added: "I do not find enough evidence to conclude this was the medical cause of death on the balance of probabilities."
Concluding the inquest Ms Saunders said: "I extend my sincere condolences to members of Connor's family." You can read more news from Welsh courts here.
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