Sheffield man, 32, died after heroin overdose and reports of an 'assault'

Daniel Ibbotson, who was 32 and lived in Shirecliffe, sadly died on May 19 last year.

He was declared dead at Northern General Hospital having been taken there by ambulance after he entered cardiac arrest at an address in Shiregreen.

Assistant coroner Laurinda Bower heard from a toxicologist that there was evidence of heroin, mephedrone and cocaine in his blood and urine.

She said: “The heroin was at a toxic level but the combination of having mephedrone and cocaine in the system would have all contributed together.”

The inquest heard that on May 19, police received a number of 999 phone calls from a mobile phone.

Giving evidence, DC Nikki Cooper said: “We could hear heavy breathing but we were unable to make out what was being said.

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"The ambulance service then received a 999 call from an unknown caller but they were unable to communicate their whereabouts.

"[On a third call] we could hear mumbling and the caller appeared to say he had been assaulted but was unable to give a location, and the call disconnected again.”

The mobile phone was traced to Daniel’s address on Oxspring Bank, and an ambulance was sent there.

In the meantime, another 999 call was made reporting a man who needed an ambulance on Nether Shire Lane in Shiregreen.

An ambulance was sent there as well and it transpired that the man on Nether Shire Lane was Daniel and he was in cardiac arrest.

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He was taken to Northern General Hospital, where he was declared dead after attempts to resuscitate him failed.

At the inquest, Daniel’s family raised concerns that police did not respond to the reports that Daniel had been assaulted.

DC Cooper said that this was because once Daniel had been taken to hospital and pronounced dead, it became clear that his death was not suspicious.

A pathologist report given at the inquest said that there was no evidence on Daniel’s body to suggest that he had been assaulted.

Mrs Bower concluded that Daniel died due to drug toxicity, and this was due to intoxication by heroin, mephedrone and cocaine.