A RECOVERING drug addict who was ‘getting his life back on track’ died after an accidental overdose, an inquest heard.

Ryan Almond died at home in Hamfield, Wantage, on December 16 last year after an accidental overdose of prescription medication.

The 31-year-old was a recovering opioid user and it was considered that his tolerance for the drugs had decreased at the time of his death, resulting in the accidental overdose.

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An inquest held at Oxford Coroner’s Court on Monday (June 17) heard his death has been ruled as a ‘drug-related death’ with a medical cause of death of ‘multi-drug toxicity’.

Area coroner Nicholas Graham said: “This was a drug-related death, that is the evidence we’ve seen. I don’t think that was intentionally done but an accident on his part.

“I just want to offer my sincerest condolences.

"He was held in high regard and his death came at a time when he was getting his life back on track,

“I’m confident he will be deeply missed by all.”

During the inquest, it was heard that Mr Almond had started taking drugs after the death of his father in 2010.

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He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and died nine months later.

Mr Almond had ‘worshipped’ his dad and looked after him in his final months.

Mr Almond’s family described him as ‘lost’ after the death and said he had ‘blamed himself’.

They described him as becoming ‘reclusive’ and began taking opioids as he struggled with his mental health.

However, in the months prior to Mr Almond’s death, his mother described him as being ‘positive’ and having ‘lots of things to look forward to’.

She said he was looking forward to a holiday in Prague with his girlfriend and had a new job opportunity.

On the afternoon of December 16, she had returned home to find Mr Almond ‘leaning over’ on his bed.

She nudged him but ‘there was no movement’ so she called the emergency services and commenced CPR but he was pronounced dead by paramedics at 7.55pm.

Police concluded the death was not suspicious and that it was ‘unlikely he wanted to take his own life’ due to him ‘feeling positive’ about many things in his life.

There were no drug paraphernalia found in his room.

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A post-mortem examination found sedative medication in his system.

As a result, coroner Mr Graham ruled the death as ‘drug-related’.

Mr Almond’s mum described her son as a ‘caring soul’ and said her ‘whole life revolved around him’.