The death of a 21-year-old man who went to bed and never woke up last Christmas remains a mystery following an inquest by experts.
Jack Thomas Willetts, was found dead by his three housemates who suspected that he had taken drugs, however an expert doctor has ruled out drug toxicity as a cause of death.
Willetts’ body was found in the shared accommodation on December 22 last year. His house mates last saw him on December 18.
At an inquest into his death this week they told a court that when they last saw him he was not his normal self, and one of them Andrew Edwards, said they had never seen him like that before.
At a hearing Coroner John Gittins, said that pathologist Dr Muhammad Aslam had given the cause of death as “unascertained” because there was no evidence of drugs or of medical issues.
Analysis showed only insignificant amounts of alcohol and cannabis in his blood, but Mr Gittins said that the state of the body, which was badly decomposed when found, had complicated matters.
Mr Willetts, who had lost his job as a plasterer, shared premises in Village Road, Northop Hall, according to a report in North Wales Live.
Jack’s adoptive father David told the inquest that he texted his son on December 22 to tell him they would all be meeting up in Ruthin, North Wales, on Christmas Day, but received no reply.
“It’s difficult to understand how a 21-year-old can fall asleep one night and not wake up,” he said.
His wife Helen said they knew that he took cannabis to help him relax and although he had mental health problems she was not worried about him.
His GP records, however, showed that in October, 2019, and July, 2020, Mr Willetts was referred to the mental health services, firstly after talking of hanging himself and secondly threatening to jump off a bridge. He was discharged from the service after failing to keep appointments.
Mrs Willetts explained, however, that he had been receiving help privately from someone she had arranged.
Recording an open conclusion, the coroner said it was very unusual for the cause of death to be unascertained in someone so young, but added: “There is absolutely no evidence that it was a deliberate act.”
