AN UNEMPLOYED Polish man, who drank nearly 16 pints of cider a day, died of chronic alcohol abuse despite an effort by friends to save him, an inquest heard last Thursday.

Poland-born Krzysztof Szczepanski, 42, of Chestnut Way, Mount Estate, Milford Haven, died at Withybush hospital on October 4 last year.

At the March 29 inquest, held at Milford Haven Town Hall, Coroner’s officer for Dyfed-Powys Police Jeremy Davies said very little was known about Mr Szczepanski’s life before he arrived in Milford Haven.

Repeated attempts were made to contact Mr Szczepanski’s mother following his death, to no avail.

The inquest heard friends of Mr Szczepanski had called to see him to see if he wanted to go for a car drive.

Friends stated Mr Szczepanski had initially seemed okay, but was later found slumped in an armchair with drool on his lips.

CPR was attempted as the friends awaited emergency services.

Paramedics took Mr Szczepanski to Withybush, where he passed away at 6.45pm that day.

Mr Davies told the inquest that one of the friends, housemate Marcin Pawlikowski, said Mr Szczepanski had a long history of alcohol abuse, and would often only sleep for two to three hours, waking to vomit in the bathroom.

The inquest heard Mr Szczepanski frequently didn’t eat and regularly drank nine litres of cider daily, only pausing for a week when frightened by being told he would only live for a year if he didn’t change his ways.

Mr Szczepanski had previously twice been found unconscious by his friend at his flat, the inquest heard.

The inquest also heard he had lost some 40 kilograms of weight due to not eating.

A post mortem report by Dr Petya Nadiva found an alcohol level of 268 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80, along with the presence of cannabis.

The report stated that the amount of alcohol was “capable of causing extreme drunkenness and depressed respiration.”

Dr Nadiva stated Mr Szczepanski death was due to alcohol intoxication and chronic alcohol abuse.

Coroner Mark Layton, recording a conclusion of an alcohol-related death, said: “Mr Krzysztof Szczepanski, with a long history of chronic alcohol abuse in the period leading to his death, has consumed a large amount of alcohol, which has caused his death.”