Drug tragedy of brother, 37

A 37-YEAR-OLD man was found dead at his home after injecting himself with illegal drugs.

Kevin Shelley was found by his brother Alan at the home they shared in Gower Street, Oldham, on February 20.

He was slumped on a sofa with a syringe in his right hand.

An Oldham inquest heard yesterday how Mr Shelley, who had been unemployed for eight years, had been a heroin user but had been clean for some time.

His brother Alan, who lived with him, said that Kevin began to take drugs again when he temporarily moved out.

He last saw him at 5pm on February 19 and recalled his brother sitting on the sofa. He said: “I told Kevin I was going out. I had no concerns for him. I didn’t know he had been using illegal drugs.

“On my return the following morning I saw him slumped forward on the sofa. I could tell he was dead.

“He had a syringe in his right hand and there was a bag of drug paraphernalia near the body.” Mr Shelley said his brother had previously accidentally overdosed himself and had been aware of the risks involved, adding: “I thought he knew how much he could handle.”

A post mortem examination revealed Mr Shelley died from the toxic effect of heroin and amphetamine. Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a verdict of misadventure.