Inquests open into the deaths of two York men on Christmas Eve

Two men from York died on Christmas Eve due to drug overdoses, it was revealed today.

Inquests opened into the deaths of the men, which weren’t linked, at the coroner’s court in Northallerton.

Danny Jay Aldrich, aged 27 was found by a friend unresponsive at his home in Shannon House, Margaret Street, York, on 24 December 2021.

After a post mortem, the provisional cause of death was given as a heroin overdose, said Alison Norton, assistant coroner.

Steven Martin Stimpson Innes, 34, from York, died on the same date at Abbots Road, Selby, the home of his partner. She found him unresponsive, and his death was confirmed by paramedics.

Following evidence from a post mortem, the provisional cause of death was amphetamine overdose.

Another York man, Daniel Wayne Hughes, aged 30 from York, died on 4 August 2021 at Scarborough General Hospital.

At the opening of his inquest, the assistant coroner said that he was taken to hospital after he stopped breathing. The provisional cause of death was hypoxic brain injury, cardio-respiratory arrest and mixed-drug overdose.

All the inquests will be resumed at a date to be fixed.