Haverfordwest farm hand died from drink, inquest hears

David Davies was found dead in his Haverfordwest flat on January 31 this year.

Acting coroner’s officer, Maggie Julien, told the hearing that little was known about Mr Davies’ history.

He was divorced and had family in Pembrokeshire and had moved from Cardigan to Haverfordwest and worked milking cows on a farm where had never missed a day’s work.

The inquest heard that 69-year-old Mr Davies was a heavy drinker and would drink a bottle of whiskey a day. He would smoke 40 cigarettes a day.

Mr Davies suffered from asthma and had a pump he had ‘bought off the street’. He was also diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Ms Julien told the hearing that Mr Davies was last seen by his neighbour on January 26 this year. She did not seem him again for the next few days and contacted his boss on January 30, who confirmed that he had not come into work or attended dinner at a mutual friend’s house.

The neighbour contacted police, who found Mr Davies on his kitchen floor.

A post-mortem conducted by Dr Petya Nadiva revealed that Mr Davies had 412 microgrammes of ethanol per 100 millilitres of blood, more than five times the legal drink-drive limit.

She said that that level of alcohol may have caused unconsciousness, coma, impairment of respiration and circulation, and possible death.

Dr Nadiva recorded the cause of death as alcohol intoxication, chronic alcohol abuse and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“Mr Davies clearly had a significant work ethic and worked hard,” said Pembrokeshire Coroner Paul Bennett.

“He also had a weakness for drinking large quantities of alcohol particularly whiskey. The effects of this alcohol abuse were significant and led to his untimely death.”

He extended his condolences to Mr Davies’ family.

He concluded that the death was the result of the physical effects of alcohol intoxication and recorded a conclusion of alcohol-related death.