Tragedy as dad finds son, 41, dead at Stoke-on-Trent home
Christopher Jenkinson had been attempting to end his decade-long heroin addiction
A man attempting to rid himself of a decade-long heroin addiction was found dead at home. Christopher Jenkinson had attended face-to-face appointments, medical reviews and drug screenings as well as contacting his recovery worker and taking part in telephone consultations with Stoke Community Drugs and Alcohol Service (CDAS) in recent months.
But the 41-year-old was found dead by his dad at their home – on Stanton Road, in Meir – last December. He had taken too many prescribed pregabalin tablets.
Now an inquest has ruled Christopher’s death was drug-related. The cause of death was listed as sepsis which brought on pneumonia following an ‘unintended overdose’ of pregabalin.
The inquest heard Christopher had been prescribed pregabalin, methadone, and morphine. He had first enrolled with CDAS in 2011 and had engaged with the service regularly since July 2023 following previous relapses.
North Staffordshire assistant coroner Duncan Ritchie said: “Sadly it appears that Christopher Jenkinson took too many prescribed pregabalin tablets – perhaps because he wanted to ease his pain – on top of his other prescription medications.
He sadly died at home on December 9. Sepsis brought about pneumonia after an unintended overdose on prescription medication.”
