Body of friend dumped in alley

But no offence committed, inquest told

A FULL-SCALE murder inquiry was launched after a group of people dumped a friend’s body in an alley when he collapsed following a drug overdose.

But an inquest into the death of Craig Scott heard that no action was taken against those involved because they had first tried resuscitating the 32-year-old and had called an ambulance.

A former heroin addict, Mr Scott, of Linden Avenue, Greenacres, had turned up at a friend’s house in Hanson Street on November 2 last year, the worse for wear through drink and drugs, and fell asleep slumped in a chair.

When the other occupants couldn’t rouse him — and their crude resuscitation attempts failed — they carried him to an alleyway at the back of the house, called an ambulance and left.

Paramedics battled for 25 minutes to revive Mr Scott but he was declared dead at hospital.

Det Insp Andy Rigby told the inquest at Oldham Magistrates’ Court yesterday that the people in the house initially denied knowing the deceased.

Seven people were arrested on suspicion of murder.

However, there was no evidence of third party involvement in Mr Scott’s death, and when interviewed the friends admitted what had happened and said they had not wanted to draw attention to themselves or get social services involved.

Mr Scott’s family were angry that no charges were brought against them, but Det Insp Rigby explained they had not committed a crime as their actions weren’t complicitly involved in the death, they had attempted resuscitation and they had called the ambulance.

He added: “They had not committed the offence of concealing the death and had no involvement in the death.”

Devastated mum Joyce Scott said her son had enjoyed sports and had lots of friends at school, but he became involved in drugs, including heroin, after turning 18.

He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his early twenties and stopped working. He accidentally overdosed twice on heroin but struggled to stay on treatment programmes.

However, in the year before he died he was prescribed the heroin substitute methadone and his health improved. He seemed fine in the days before his death.

Tests showed he died from methadone, diazepam (a valium) and alcohol toxicity. The amount of methadone on its own could have proved fatal and it was exacerbated by the diazepam and being nearly two-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit.

Assistant coroner Barrie Williams recorded a verdict of accidental death saying there was no evidence to suggest Mr Scott intended to take his own life and he either miscalculated or acted with disregard for his safety.