A wife believed her husband was sleeping next to her for 20 minutes until she realised he was in fact dead.
Kelly Bowley sat next to partner Shaun and watched the television after waking. But Mr Bowley's inquest yesterday heard she soon discovered he was cold to the touch and unresponsive.
Emergency services were called but Chesterfield Coroner's Court was told nothing could be done to save the 52-year-old man, Derbyshire Live reports.
PC Joanna Smith, of Derbyshire Police, said: "She (Mrs Bowley) was downstairs for around 20 minutes and she presumed Shaun was asleep although his eyes were open but this wasn't unusual for him as he did sometimes sleep with his eyes open.
"She told him to shut his eyes but when he didn't respond she took hold of his foot and shook it but he was still unresponsive and cold to the touch, it was then she realised that he was deceased."
"He was situated on the sofa in the living room lying down stretched across the full length of the sofa. He lived at the address along with his wife and children.
"It was Kelly who found Shaun lying on the sofa when she came downstairs as she normally would in the morning after waking up at around 7.20am due to it being a school day for her children."
Mr Bowley died on Tuesday, November 15, 2021, leaving behind his spouse and children.
