A MAN fascinated by the supernatural died after falling down stairs and crashing his head through a stained glass window at the bottom.

An inquest heard that Dean Francis, 36, was more than four and a half times the legal drink drive limit at the time of his fatal fall. He bled to death after severing an artery.

The inquest heard that lack of any subsequent movement of the body suggested that Mr Francis would not have regained consciousness after the fall, at his home in Sidney Street, Darwen.

Acting coroner Michael Singleton, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Clive Francis described his son's death as a tragic loss that had come as a great shock. He told how, when Dean was seven years old, the family had emigrated to Australia and had returned to Darwen in 1984. He said his son was a proud man who, despite problems with a failed relationship and unemployment, had always sorted himself out. "He often told me not to worry about him," said Mr Francis. "We remained close up to the end."

Mr Francis said he considered his son's drinking to be over the top sometimes but said Dean appeared to be in control. His son was a keen gardener and artist.

Thomas Durkin, of Church Terrace, Darwen, said he had known Dean Francis for nine months and they often used to have a drink and a chat in either the Central Club or the Millstone pub.

He was the last person to see Dean alive, two days before his body was discovered. He had seen Dean in the Millstone and said hello but his friend had ignored him.

"I can only describe him as vacant," said Mr Durkin. "When I sat down with him he said he had had a good drink. He started talking about ghosts and when I asked him what he meant he said I should come to his house that night."

Mr Durkin told how they got a taxi to Mr Francis' house and, after a while, his friend started talking about ghosts again.

"He said there was someone coming that night and I was going to see something wonderful," said Mr Durkin. "I asked what he meant and he said "You'll see, you'll see."

Mr Durkin left the house and the last time he saw Mr Francis he was going to sleep on the settee.

Mr Durkin said he had since learned of Mr Francis' interest in the supernatural and the dead man's brother, Wayne, confirmed his brother's fascination with the after life, ghosts and the paranormal.

"His art was always demons," said Wayne.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.