A SOUTHAMPTON man took an overdose of his prescription painkillers after falling and breaking his leg, an inquest heard.

Paul Brennenstuhl was discovered by a friend in his warden-assisted flat on the morning of September 12 after failing to answer the door to a ‘meals on wheels’ deliverer.

Winchester Coroner’s Court heard the 64-year-old, of Pettinger Gardens, St Deny’s, had been drinking with his friend Barry Fuller the afternoon before, and was fine when he was walked by to his flat.

However, Mr Fuller discovered Mr Brennenstuhl laying unresponsive on the floor of his studio flat, where he was later pronounced dead by paramedics.

PC Ross Rolph told the inquest that because of blood located in the flat, he believed Mr Brennenstuhl had fallen and hit his head on a bedside cabinet.

Pathologist Dr Sanjay Jogai added he had sustained a broken leg.

Dr Jogai said the cause of death, however, was the overdose of a painkiller he had been prescribed for chronic shoulder pain.

Recording a conclusion of drug and alcohol-related death, senior coroner Grahame Short said there was no evidence of the overdose being intentional.

During the inquest a statement from Mr Brennenstuhl’s sister, Catherine Rhodes, was read, in which she described him as being “the fun-loving, spontaneous older brother everyone dreams off”.