The widow of a man who took a fatal overdose of drugs could have saved his life by simply calling 999, a court heard today.

Paul Anderson, 43, who was weak, vulnerable and in constant pain, took an overdose of morphine on July 17, 2003 and died the next morning.

His widow, Jill Anderson, 49, denies manslaughter at Leeds Crown Court.

The court was told that if she had called for medical assistance when her husband told her what he had done on the evening of July 17 then it was ''virtually certain'' he would have survived.

David Perry, prosecuting, said that instead of simply making a telephone call, Mrs Anderson did nothing but watched her husband fall into a deep sleep and, possibly, unconsciousness at their home at Westowe Cottage, Galphay, near Ripon, North Yorkshire.

By 5am the following morning he began to turn blue, but Mrs Anderson still did not call a doctor until 11am on July 18.

Mr Perry said: ''If she had made a telephone call, and if medical assistance had arrived, then Paul Anderson would not have died.''

The court heard Mr Anderson, who had a history of hypochondria, suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as ME and was in constant pain.

The court was told he was virtually bed-ridden and relied on Mrs Anderson for help with daily tasks such as preparing meals, going to the toilet and even making a cup of tea.

Mrs Anderson admitted during police interviews that, with the benefit of hindsight, she should have called an ambulance and regretted that she had not done so, Mr Perry said.