Family shocked by drugs-related death of ‘healthy’ man

The family of a 51-year-old man found dead at his home has been left shocked by his drugs-related death, an inquest has heard.

Paul Holland was discovered on the floor of his bathroom in his home at Southampton Place in Great Yarmouth on December 21 last year.

An inquest into his death held at Norfolk Coroner’s Court on Thursday heard toxicology tests found Mr Holland had recreational non-toxic levels of amphetamine in his system.

A post mortem examination found his medical cause of death was amphetamine-related cardiac arrhythmia.

His sister Kathryn Holland told the inquest: “One of the reasons Paul’s death was such a shock to us is that he seemed to be in very good health. He took care of himself and felt healthy, having given up smoking a couple of years ago. He had also become vegan.”

Reaching a conclusion his death was drug related, Jacqueline Lake, senior coroner for Norfolk, said: “He was a carer for his mum and it is also clear that he was very well loved by all of his family.

“I also take into account evidence from Paul’s sister that in the immediate period prior to his death he was showing symptoms of a cold and the post mortem shows that there was some inflammation around his lungs. So it may be that he was more susceptible to the amphetamine than he would otherwise have been.”