A DISTRAUGHT man turned to drink following the death of his wife, an inquest heard.
Retired painter and decorator William Nellist, 64, died from multiple organ failure due to fatty changes in the liver as a result.
Hospital anaesthetist Dr Jacqueline Gedney told the Middlesbrough inquest that Mr Nellist, of Monmouth Road, Eston, had severe liver damage, a condition aggravated by excess alcohol.
PC Robin Butler, who broke into Mr Nellist's home, said he found a quantity of empty cider bottles strewn across the floor of the room where he found Mr Nellist's body.
A post-mortem examination failed to find any evidence of alcohol in his blood, although Mr Nellist had a history of heavy drinking.
Deputy Teesside Coroner Gordon Hetherington said Mr Nellist's drinking was "aggravated by the death of his wife".
He recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.
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