A MAN who was found dead at his home in Llanfairfechan earlier this year after struggling with drug and alcohol abuse for some time, an inquest heard.

Martin Lloyd Roberts was pronounced deceased aged 42 on Thursday, January 19 at his address on Pool Street, with neighbours and loved ones having been concerned about his health for some time.

At a full inquest into his death, held in Ruthin yesterday (July 18), David Pojur, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, gave a conclusion of a drug-related death.

Mr Pojur provided a medical cause of death of bleeding oesophageal varices, contributed to by fatty liver cirrhosis.

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In a statement, Mr Roberts’ brother, Michael Lauchlan, said he had been a “heavy drinker” since his teenage years, and continued to live alone at his grandparents’ old home on Pool Street after their deaths.

Born in Bangor, Mr Roberts had worked in a quarry, had a temporary job as a production operator for Hotpoint, before working for The Book People in Bangor for 12 years.

A lover of football and music, Mr Roberts did not marry or have any long-term relationships.

After the COVID-19 pandemic began, Mr Lauchlan said concerns grew about his brother, who appeared “thin and gaunt”.

He then admitted that he had been taking heroin, having been given it by someone on his 40th birthday.

Mr Roberts was encouraged to seek help, and there were periods where he appeared to have improved, his brother added.

But he later confided that he had been admitted to hospital after overdosing on heroin, before a positive drugs test at work led him to lose his job.

After appearing “very ill” with stomach problems during Christmas of 2021, Mr Roberts was later admitting to hospital again, before he was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.

He then stopped drinking alcohol for a number of months, began to walk more, and looked “much healthier” as a result, Mr Lauchlan said.

But during the FIFA World Cup in late 2022, it appeared he had resumed drinking, and was again described as looking unwell.

From then on, his neighbours kept a “close eye on him”, and would assist him with his shopping.

On the evening of January 18, the night before his death, Mr Roberts was encouraged by his neighbour to attend hospital, but insisted he was simply tired and wanted to stay put on his sofa.

The following day, when neighbour Kevin Rowlands returned to Mr Roberts’ home to check on him, he found him in the same position as the previous evening.

He performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Mr Roberts, but this did not garner any response from him.

Mr Lauchlan added: “We had no idea how bad he was; Martin was quite private in that sense. He wasn’t one to make a fuss.

“He always played it down and changed the subject, so we don’t really know what help he was receiving for his drug and alcohol problems.

“But we do know he was very popular in the village, who rallied around to raise money to give him a good send-off.”

PC Thomas Roberts, who was called to assist paramedics at 9.15am on January 19, found Mr Roberts’ property in a “very poor condition”

When Mr Roberts’ body was lifted off his sofa by funeral directors, a small wrap of a brown substance, which appeared unopened, was found underneath.

Dr Mark Atkinson, in conducting Mr Roberts’ post-mortem examination, found no smell of alcohol about his body.

A toxicology report showed that morphine (a metabolite of heroin) and paracetamol were both present in Mr Roberts’ system within a therapeutic range.

Concluding, Mr Pojur offered his condolences to Michelle Rushton, the partner of Mr Roberts’ brother, who attended the inquest via videolink.

Ms Rushton added: “He was a lovely guy, very well-liked in the village. A lot of people were very worried about him; we had urged him to get help

“The neighbours were absolutely fantastic in looking after him, and his best friend, who took him to the shops and really looked after him.

“It’s a shame that he wasn’t able to get the help he needed, but he was a fabulous uncle to our children, and a very popular man in the village.

“He’ll be very sadly missed.”