Combination of drink and drugs on night out led to untimely death of Hartlepool man

Matthew Todd, aged 28, died earlier this year after a night out socialising.

An inquest into the circumstances and cause of Mr Todd’s death was held at Teesside Coroners’ Court, in Middlesbrough, on Monday, November 8.

It heard how police were called to a report of a sudden death at a house in Patterdale Street, Hartlepool, on June 26.

The inquest was told that Mr Todd had been out socialising and gone back to the address with people he knew where he spent the night.

Karin Welsh, assistant coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool, said it appeared a large amount of alcohol was taken during the evening.

Toxicology tests also found two different drugs in Mr Todd’s system.

A pathologist’s report stated they believed that the interaction between the drugs and alcohol raised their effects on Mr Todd’s central nervous system and the part that regulated his breathing and heart rate.

Ms Welsh said: “Sadly, the combination of the drugs and alcohol has led to Mr Todd’s death.

"The appropriate conclusion for me to reach, bearing in mind it doesn’t appear this gentleman has had a particularly heavy involvement with substances of this nature, particularly the drugs taken, is one of misadventure.”

A fundraising website started by friends to give him a good send off raised over £1,700.

Its creator described Mr Todd, of Cameron Road, as “one of the best lads you could ever meet”.

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