Southampton resident Derek Botting died in bed after developing pneumonia after using heroin

Derek Botting and his girlfriend bought heroin and crack cocaine worth £60 on the city’s streets on July 2, before returning to their home in Mandela Way to smoke it, an inquest heard.

A statement by Rachael Hughes-Freeman, which was read to the court, said her partner was coughing and wheezing in the final days of his life, but refused to see a doctor.

Ms Hughes-Freeman found him dead sitting up in bed on the morning of July 3, with his asthma inhaler still in his hand.

Post-mortem examinatin tests concluded that the 56-year-old died of pneumonia, but was suffering from emphysema and had high levels of street heroin in his blood at the time.

Coroner Grahame Short recorded a verdict of death due to natural causes, adding that the presence of heroin in his body was a contributory factor.