AN ABERAERON man who was left in “constant chronic pain” following a 1997 car crash, died after taking too much morphine following a heavy night’s drinking, an inquest has found.

William Paul Lloyd-Davies, 42, was found dead in his flat on Saturday, 12 March by a neighbour after he texted a friend that he feared he had taken too much morphine, the inquest at Aberystwyth on Wednesday heard.

Father-of-two, Mr Lloyd-Davies, drank “at least eight pints” the previous night and sent a text message to friend Alan Davies to ask him to check on him in the morning as he’d “taken too much”.

Mr Davies did not see the text message, sent at 10.14pm on the Friday night, until the following morning.

After failing to get hold of the deceased, Mr Davies phoned Mr Lloyd-Davies’ neighbour and friend Graham Evans, who had a key to his flat.

Mr Evans, who had been friends with Mr Lloyd-Davies for 20 years said he found him “slumped” in the kitchen and “knew he was dead”, the inquest heard.

Mr Lloyd-Davies, a carpenter by trade, broke his back and suffered multiple injuries in a car crash.

He had been on pain medication ever since and was prescribed morphine in 2012 after his previous pain medication failed.

Mr Lloyd-Davies’ doctor, David Evans, told the inquest in a statement that Mr Lloyd-Davies had “chronic pain” following the car crash but that he also had a “long history of alcohol and substance misuse” and drank “hazardous amounts of alcohol”.

A post-mortem revealed that the alcohol and other drugs in his system, combined with high levels of morphine caused severe respiratory failure.

Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, HM Coroner for Ceredigion Peter Brunton said that it was “clear that Mr Lloyd-Davies did not intend to take his own life.”

“He knew he had taken more morphine than he should, hence the text message to his friend,” Mr Brunton said.

“On the night he had consumed a significant amount of alcohol, and combined with the morphine and the (prescription) other drugs in his system it proved too much for him.”

“He did not intend this result.”

Mr Lloyd-Davies leaves behind a son, a daughter, two sisters, a brother and his mother.

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