Coroner of inquests Alastair Montgomerie has said the death of a 42-year-old Port St Mary man has highlighted the dangers of methadone abuse.

Jeffrey Cameron Watterson was found dead in a friend's house on April 3 this year, after a night out.

Mr Watterson was known to have been a heroin user and had served a prison sentence for possession of drugs, but was thought to have been making a serious attempt to get his life back on track.

The inquest heard that on April 2 Mr Watterson met up with his friend Louise Heaney at the Haven pub in Port Erin. The pair spent the night drinking with friends before heading back to Miss Heaney's house, where they continued drinking until the early hours.

When Miss Heaney awoke Mr Watterson was still snoring loudly, but when she returned to the room after making a drink he had become silent and had gone a strange colour.

An ambulance was called and efforts were made to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pathologist Chris Clague said death was due to established broncho-pneumonia with a background of illicit methadone use, and methadone was present in the body.

However, while Miss Heaney kept prescribed methadone hidden in her flat there was no evidence he had touched any of it.

Recording a misadventure verdict, Mr Montgomerie said it was clear Mr Watterson had taken methadone illicitly some time prior to his death, though he had no intention of killing himself. Miss Heaney and her brother had done all they could to save him and his death was not her fault.

Mr Montgomerie described the death as 'a tragic loss of life' and said the case underlined the fact that methadone should only be taken when prescribed, and then only under the supervision of a doctor or chemist.