Market Drayton man, 51, died after heroin fix
A drug user from Market Drayton died of an overdose after taking heroin, an inquest has concluded.
Paul Anthony Bradshaw, 51, died at the Royal Stoke University Hospital on December 12, 2018.
The inquest was attended by nine family members, some of whom raised concerns about the efforts of police officers in obtaining statements from all relevant people.
The inquest heard Mr Bradshaw had been at a flat in the town where others present described him as being in an intoxicated state.
A long-term friend said in a statement that he and Mr Bradshaw had started “sniffing glue” together as teenagers and both progressed onto stronger drugs like heroin. He also described Mr Bradshaw as an “alcoholic”.
Pc Richard Carrington, who is based at Market Drayton police station, gave evidence at the inquest.
He said it had not been possible to obtain a statement from a woman who it was alleged had injected Mr Bradshaw with heroin. This was not accepted by some members of Mr Bradshaw’s family.
But senior coroner John Ellery said the ongoing police investigation was not a reason to adjourn the inquest.
The medical cause of death was given as multiple drug toxicity and Mr Ellery recorded that Mr Bradshaw’s death was drug-related.
