A FORMER prisoner was looking forward to getting his life back on track before accidentally taking a fatal overdose.

David Gaunt was found dead in bed on July 19 last year, an inquest heard.

The 27-year-old died of a combination of pneumonia and a painkiller overdose at his home in Brindley Court, Wilkins Drive, Allenton.

Two months earlier he had completed a prison sentence in Nottingham and had hoped to study catering at Buxton college.

But his GP, Dr Mohammed Ramzan, told an inquest he believed Mr Gaunt was addicted to the painkiller dihydrocodeine.

Two days before his death, Mr Gaunt argued with his family and then claimed to have taken tablets.

But deputy assistant coroner Paul McCandless recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying there was no other evidence Mr Gaunt wanted to take his life.

Mr McCandless said: "Yes, there was the incident on the Sunday before. But it's clearly the case that he seemed after that time to appear well.

"On the balance of probabilities, in taking his medication in the way that he did, against the background of his underlying medical illness, he effectively died as a result of an accident."