An inquest into the death of a man from Bodmin has found he had not been seen alive for a number of months before being discovered.

Frank Robert Jones, 67, lived on his own in a flat in Bodmin. On March 7, 2022, a neighbour complained of a leak coming from Mr Jones’ home above them.

As a result the housing manager attended the property, letting themselves in using a spare key, finding Mr Jones deceased.

The inquest heard from Mr Jones’ step-daughter, Nicola, who explained: “He suffered with COPD and arthritis.”

The inquest also heard of Mr Jones’ struggles with depression.

“I didn’t know Dad drank a lot. Dad struggled with depression, mainly after Mum died,” Nicola told the inquest.

The inquest heard that Nicola was the last person to see her father alive after seeing him over the Christmas period.

Police struggled to find anyone who had seen Mr Jones within close proximity to his passing.

Despite mention of a large quantity of alcohol across Mr Jones’ property, the inquest heard that a toxicology report following the death found less than the legal driving limit within his system. However, there were high quantities of morphine and in particular Codeine; thus leading to the cause of death, 1A Codeine Overdose, being recorded.

However, Dr Omar, Mr Jones’ GP, explained that neither of these substances were ones prescribed to him.

Stephen Covell, the coroner residing over the inquest, said that Mr Jones “may have sourced this pain medication over the counter.”

Mr Covell went on to say: “There is a gap in this evidence...as to how Frank managed to take a significant amount of medication or what the purpose of this was.”

Mr Covell told the inquest that there was “insufficient evidence” to explain whether Mr Jones took this medication with the intention of ending his life or to simply ease his pain.

As such the coroner recorded the conclusion as a “drug related death”.