Overdose accident led to man's death

9:33am Thursday 4th September 2008

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A Pembroke man died after an accidental overdose of prescribed drugs.

Alexander Munro, of 63 Ashdale Lane, had suffered from chronic back and neck pain since 1997 when he was injured while unloading a lorry.

His wife Angela, who described Mr Munro as her ‘soulmate’, told an inquest in Milford Haven last week that her husband had full access to a cocktail of prescribed painkillers and took drugs daily before bedtime as he had problems sleeping.

Coroner’s officer Jeremy Davies said Mr Munro, aged 43, had complained of arm pains and heart palpitations in the days leading up to death.

On the morning of Friday, May 16, Mrs Munro woke to find her husband in bed, which was an unusual for him as he always rose early.

She discovered he was not breathing she contacted emergency services, who pronounced Mr Munro dead shortly after arriving at around 6am.

A pathologist report concluded the death was caused by an overdose of morphine.

Pembrokeshire coroner Michael Howells said he was satisfied that Mr Munro did not intentionally take his own life and recorded a verdict of accidental death from an overdose of prescribed drugs in unascertained circumstances.