A HEROIN user who had mental health problems died with “a large amount” of alcohol in his system shortly after taking heroin, an inquest heard.

Paul Worman, 35, of Slaymaker Close, Oxford, died at a house in Dashwood Road, East Oxford, on July 23.

An inquest at Oxford Coroner’s Court on Wednesday heard in a statement from pathologist Eve Fryer of Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, that Mr Worman had 318 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of blood. Ms Fryer called it “a large amount” enough to cause “extreme drunkenness”.

She said the cause was most likely respiratory failure caused by the combination of alcohol and heroin.

Mr Worman’s friend Justin Bourton said he met Paul at the house in Dashwood Road after Mr Worman had “scored” some heroin in Littlemore.

Mr Bourton said Mr Worman injected himself in his arm and five minutes later was blue in the face with his hands clamped together by his forehead and his head by his feet.

Coroner Darren Salter concluded he had died from a respiratory arrest, related to drug and alcohol use.