By Staff Reporter

Last updated at 13:12, Monday, 25 June 2012

A 25-year-old man who struggled to control his diabetes died suddenly at home, an inquest heard.

Paul George Sim, of Copeland Avenue, Mirehouse, was found on October 10 last year by two of his friends.

At an inquest into his death, coroner David Roberts ruled Mr Sim died of natural causes. He had suffered from type one diabetes and acute pancreatitis.

A post-mortem report said there was evidence of poor diabetes control in the three months before his death.

The inquest heard that Mr Sim has suffered from diabetes for nine years and had struggled to control it during that time. He had also battled a drugs problem for four years. However, he had recovered and was training to become a drugs counsellor.

The inquest heard that Mr Sim had been out with friends on October 7 last year. His mother Linda had seen him two days later and he told her that he felt ill.

She said: “We were always in constant contact. I texted him in the morning [of October 10] but I didn’t receive anything back. I knew something was wrong.”

Mrs Sim contacted her son’s housemate Jordana Davidson and another friend Paula Ennis to check on her son. They found Mr Sim, who had collapsed and died, in the bathroom.

Mr Roberts said: “I find that Mr Sim was diagnosed with type one diabetes. For the first 12 months he maintained his diabetes.

“After a year he became less compliant as he was not eating meals regularly and was eating sugary foods. It may be that over a five, six, seven-year period he wasn’t maintaining a strict regime and had become a bit blase about it. He became addicted to drugs. It seems clear that he wanted to change as he wanted to give it up.”

Regarding his death, Mr Roberts added: “Mr Sim was not affected at all by any drugs or medication prescribed or otherwise. This was an entirely natural event. He died of natural causes.”

First published at 11:28, Monday, 25 June 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk