YORK coroner Donald Coverdale has warned of the dangers of taking drugs at the inquest into the death of a much-loved undergraduate.

James Matthews’ habitual drug taking had already affected his final-year studies as a politics, economics and philosophy student at the University of York and the day before he died he was scared of falling asleep in case he didn’t wake up, the inquest heard. In a statement, his housemate Stephen Hibbitt told how he found him lying, not breathing, on a sofa on August 4. A post-mortem examination revealed he had taken a combination of methadone and other drugs in quantities that individually were not lethal, but together were.

“It is an unhappy story of a young man who was thoroughly enmeshed in the drug culture,” Mr Coverdale said. “He was habitually using a variety of drugs in combination and that effect alone – combining various substances – can be very dangerous.”

He recorded a verdict of death by drug dependency on Mr Matthews, 23, of Seventh Avenue, Tang Hall.

Many friends paid tribute to the undergraduate last summer following his death and his parents described him as a “larger-than-life character”.

In a statement read to the inquest, Mr Hibbitt said for about a week before he died Mr Matthews “always seemed to be coming down from drugs” and on August 3, had returned home shaking and sweating.

“He didn’t want to fall asleep because he was afraid he wouldn’t wake up again,” said Mr Hibbitt.

When Mr Matthews couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, Mr Hibbitt stayed with him to monitor his breathing.

That night friends stayed with him at home to help him overcome the urge to buy more drugs.

In a statement, friend Mark Oxley said Mr Matthews went out to buy methadone and after returning to the house he showed Mr Oxley blue Valium tablets and ketamine. He took two “lines” of drugs and drank “great gulps” of what looked like methadone before falling asleep as he looked out of the window.

“That was the last time I saw James,” said Mr Oxley.

A statement on behalf of James Matthews’s parents Janet and Robert said: “James was funny, clever and loving and his family and friends miss him very much. He was a larger-than-life character who made a huge impression on everyone he met.

“Friends have said he was an inspiration to them and this is his legacy of which his parents are very proud.”