A PLUMBER died after injecting himself with heroin.

But it was the combination of the non-fatal dose of morphine and a large amount of alcohol consumed in a drinking binge that caused Mr Andrew Dover to collapse into unconsciousness on the floor of a friend's house in Radcliffe.

An inquest at Bury on Wednesday (May 13) heard how the 41-year-old unemployed plumber, born and educated in the town, called at the home of Miss Karen Lomax and Mr James Edmunds in a drunken state on March 2 and asked without success on several occasions if they knew where he could obtain heroin.

Leaving the Arley Street house, Mr Dover returned 15 minutes later with a syringe full of a brown liquid which his friends believed to be heroin.

Miss Lomax told the inquest how she warned Mr Dover not to inject the substance as her 13-year-old son was in the house. Abiding with her request, he went into the kitchen for a glass of water.

"I then heard a loud crash and went into the kitchen to see Andrew on the floor," explained Miss Lomax. "An orange-coloured syringe cap was lying near to his body but I could not see the syringe."

Her boyfriend, Mr Edmunds, attempted to revive him until paramedics took over. Mr Dover was taken to Bury General Hospital where he died.

Coroner Mr Barrie Williams heard how Mr Dover, father of one child, had a long history of heroin and alcohol addiction.

Mr Dover's common-law wife, Mrs Karen Morrison, who shared his home in Polefield Grange, Prestwich, said that during the last year he had gained control of his addictions and wanted to return to work.

Hours before his death, the couple had been drinking in Bury in the afternoon. Mr Dover insisted he was going to have a drinking binge and was left on his own.

A post mortem showed he had consumed excessive alcohol and injected a non-lethal dose of heroin.

Mr Williams concluded: "The alcohol and heroin in Mr Dover's body had a significant impact on his body, causing him to collapse. In themselves, both alcohol and heroin samples would not be fatal doses but the combination of the two caused his death."

A verdict of accidental death was recorded. Mr Williams said that Mr Dover acted recklessly but did not realise the mixture of alcohol and drugs would be fatal. Mr Williams reprimanded Miss Lomax and Mr Edmunds after they failed to turn up on time to give evidence, causing a one-hour delay. He said he had the option of fining or imposing a prison sentence on those in contempt of his court.

Mr Edmunds explained that his girlfriend had become anxious that Mr Dover's family would be hostile towards her if she attended the inquest, blaming her for his death because it happened in her home.

Accepting the reasons, Mr Williams told the couple: "When witnesses are requested by a coroner to give evidence I expect them to be there. Not turning up is a gross contempt of court and I remind all that I do have the power not just of fine but imprisonment."

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