ALCOHOLIC Terry Simpson died after mixing half a bottle of sherry with enough anti-depressants to kill eight people, an inquest heard.

Mr Simpson, 24, of Round Close Road, Adderbury, near Banbury, died on the sofa at his home three days before Christmas last year as his uncle sat nearby.

Oxford Coroner's Court was told he had a long-standing drink problem and was taking the anti-depressant amitriptyline .

His uncle, Gerry Boyle, of Park Road, described how the day before Mr Simpson died, they spent the day together with his nephew's girlfriend, Marina Jarrett, at the couple's shared home.

In the morning they bought a bottle of sherry and shared it at home. They planned to go out in the afternoon to see some ferrets, but Mr Simpson fell asleep on his sofa.

Mr Boyle planned to stay the night and watched TV after Miss Jarrett went upstairs to bed at 9pm, leaving Mr Simpson asleep.

He said: "At about 11pm he took a sharp intake of breath and went all rigid."

Mr Boyle checked Mr Simpson and, satisfied he was alright, returned to watching the television.

He added: "I was going to tell him what happened the next day, and tell him he should go and see a doctor.

"He then rolled off the couch. I looked round a bit later. I don't know what it was but I realised that something didn't look quite right. "I looked at him for a couple of minutes and noticed that he wasn't breathing."

Pathologist Dr Godman Greywoode told the inquest Mr Simpson died from the effects of the mixture of alcohol and drugs he had swallowed.

Tests showed he was four times over the drink-drive limit and had eight times the lethal dosage of amitriptyline in his blood.

The inquest heard neither Mr Boyle or Miss Jarrett knew Blackpool-born Mr Simpson, who had overdosed three times before, was taking anti-depressants. No bottles or pills were found after he died.

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner said: "The circumstances under which he took the overdose are far from clear.

"He seems to have taken some care to make sure no pill containers were found, but this does not lead me to conclude that he took his own life. Nor is it certain that he did not mean to."

He recorded an open verdict.

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