A DRUG addict died at a remote Ribble Valley hotel after taking a lethal cocktail of heroin and cocaine.

An inquest heard that Simon Cotzec and his girlfriend had gone to the hotel to try and wean themselves off drugs.

But the final binge before they did "cold turkey" proved too much for Mr Cotzec who died in room 23 at the Stirk House Hotel, despite the frantic efforts of staff and paramedics.

Coroner Andre Rebello recorded a verdict of misadventure on Mr Cotzec, of Redruth Street, Burnley, after hearing medical evidence that it was the cocaine which was most likely to have caused death although there were also high levels of morphine in his blood.

The inquest had been told of the last hours of Mr Cotzec's life by his girlfriend, Elaine White, 27, of Leonard Street, Nelson.

She said they had checked into the Stirk House with their 11-month-old baby on June 26 with the intention of staying for a week for her to withdraw from heroin and him from cocaine. Miss White's mother was due to collect the baby the following day. "Simon said that would be the last night we would have drugs, tomorrow that would be it," said Miss White. She revealed that while normal users would make one gramme of cocaine last a weekend, Mr Cotzec needed more. "If Simon wanted some, he had to have £300 worth. We had two grammes with us and when that had gone, Simon went to get some more," she said.

The couple had sat up all night taking cocaine and talking. Miss White said she could not sleep and at some stage they had both taken some valium.

Miss White continued: "The next afternoon we were smoking heroin. When we had finished I went to the other end of the room, turned round, and Simon just smiled at me then fell to the floor."

She told how she tried to pick her boyfriend up and threw water in his face. She did not call for an ambulance straight away because there were court bail conditions which meant he was not meant to go near her.

"I rang a friend who said as long as he was breathing he would be OK, but when I turned him over his lips were blue and that is when I phoned reception to get an ambulance," added Miss White. Duty manager at the Stirk House Yvonne Oliver said she went to room 23 when she was told an ambulance had been called.

"Mr Cotzec was lying on the floor, half in the bathroom and just a shirt over his shoulders," said Mrs Oliver. The cot was in the way and I could not get to him at first."

She was joined by hotel proprietor Mr Edward Weaving and they both tried to resuscitate Mr Cotzec until paramedics arrived.

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