The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A combination of drugs and alcohol caused the death of a Weston man who died while on holiday in Turkey, an inquest has heard.
Mark Jervis James, of Broadgate, had had problems with drug and alcohol abuse in the past.
His partner, Lesley Murray, told the inquest at Boston Coroner’s Court on Wednesday (Oct 5) that the 47-year-old had been trying to give up drinking before their holiday in Marmaris.
She said: “Mark made a decision a couple of weeks before we went on holiday to give up drinking.
“He still had bouts when he bought bottles of spirits, but he could go days and weeks without it.”
Mr James was also on prescribed drugs – diazepam, citalopram, tramadol – to help with his addiction and for chronic back problems which caused him severe pain.
However, he decided against taking the drugs on holiday with him and was forced to buy the same medicines from a Turkish pharmacy.
The couple had spent the early evening of May 11 this year in the bar and entertainment area of the hotel which they were staying in. Mr James had gone to the bar to get some drinks and returned a while later.
Ms Murray explained to the inquest that she initially thought her partner must have been talking to someone as the couple had been there over a week and had got to know a lot of people.
She said: “He came back a bit slurred.
“I had problems dealing with him when he’s drunk. He knew I didn’t like it so I decided I wasn’t staying down with him and went up to the room.
“Mark never came with me. I can’t remember the time but it must have been a couple of hours later when I got a phone call from reception.
“They said that Mark was passed out in the reception area on a sofa. I went down and they asked if I wanted the emergency services, but I said no because I had seen it so many times.
“I assumed he had passed out through drink and, after he had slept it off, would be back to normal the next day. I went back to the room – I just saw red because he had failed again and was in another drunken stupor.
“Some members of staff brought him up later. We put him in the en-suite, supported him, laid him on his side in case he was sick and left him until the next day.
“I fell asleep and when, I woke in the morning, I tried CPR, shouted and tried to get help, but realised he was probably dead.”
Coroner Dr Murray Spittal said that two post mortems had been carried out on Mr James, one in Turkey and the other in this country.
They had both revealed a significant combination of drugs and alcohol which had caused Mr James’ death.
