A YOUNG man who lived near Winchester died from drug toxicity after a period of poor health.

Now his parents are calling for better mental health services.

An inquest heard that Samuel Peacock, 26, of Wellesley Drive in Worthy Down, was found dead at home on March 24 last year.

According to a post mortem report by consultant pathologist Dr Adnan Al-Badri, morphine and flualprazolam toxicity caused central nervous system depression.

Mr Peacock was also classed as obese as the time of his death.

His father Eric told Winchester Coroner's Court: "For the last five or six years our son was struggling with mental health issues, namely anxiety, and had been seeing teams in Salisbury where he used to live, and more recently in Winchester when he moved in with us.

"It's frustrating that there was never a final diagnosis. It felt he was never on the right medication and doctors were experimenting the whole time.

"It wouldn't be the same with a physical illness – if he presented his symptoms to a GP it would have been dealt with a lot quicker."

Traces of cocaine consistent with recreational use, and levels of sertraline and pholcodine consistent with therapeutic use, were also found in the body.

Mr Peacock's mother Marie added: "Sam was obese when he died. The weight he gained came on so quick as he was always so slim.

"He was also very ill. We think he may have had Covid as he had a sore throat and was having breathing difficulties, which makes me wonder if this contributed to his death. Of course there were no tests at the time.

"Perhaps he was trying to self-medicate? Young people are not invincible and need access to services when on medication."

The family questioned psychiatrist Dr Saadia Muzaffar at the Portsmouth Coroner's Court hearing.

She had spoken with Mr Peacock between the months of September 2019 and March 2020.

"Sam was always very lovely," she said, "he was very proactive and keen – a future-orientated young man.

"He was certainly trying to improve his mental health, but was only with us between September and March so I only saw him eight or nine times. It was not possible to make a definitive diagnosis."

Senior coroner Christopher Wilkinson adopted Dr Al-Badri's medical findings and concluded the inquest as an accidental death.

Marie Peacock said: "Sam was the eldest of our four children and we had some wonderful, happy times over the years that we will hold onto forever.

"Losing a child is something we will never come to terms with as it doesn't make sense.

"Our son was a tremendously funny person – always fun, enthusiastic and always a very nice brother.

"We had a nice family life, really, and we were grateful. He would always put others first because he knew of their struggles from his own experiences."