A MAN whose body was moved outside a house in Carlisle died after taking a "lethal" dose of drugs, an inquest heard.

Kevin Slater, 34, of Aglionby Street, died on November 17 last year, the day he was discharged from the Carleton Clinic.

Immediately after leaving the unit he got a taxi to a to drug dealer Vicky Blair's house in Borland Avenue, where he later died.

The inquest, at Cumbria House yesterday, heard how Mr Slater had been a drug user for several years, suffered from mental health issues and had suicidal thoughts on a number of occasions, even attempting to take his own life.

The dad-of-two was known to the Carelton Clinic, Unity and Turning Point.

Assistant Coroner Simon Ward concluded that his death was not suicidal but a drug-related death. He believes had his intention been suicide, Mr Slater would have told professionals prior to his discharge, something he was known to be frank about. He was deemed to be low to medium risk of suicide when assessed.

The cause of death was due to toxic levels of alprazolam - commonly known as Xanax - and morphine, a level of drugs that was "eight times as high as the low point of being in a lethal range".

Witness statements confirmed Mr Slater had died in Blair's house and while attempts were made to bring him round, they were unsuccessful.

Blair and another woman then dragged his body out of the house. Blair, 32, was jailed for eight months for perverting the course of justice, intending to conceal the fact Mr Slater died at her home while she was supplying Xanax to others from that address. She was sentenced, separately, for conspiracy to supply that class C drug earlier this year.

"This is a very sad case indeed," said Mr Ward. "It was a very sad and undignified end to Kevin's life."