A 38-YEAR-OLD man found slumped at the bottom of his stairs died from hypothermia after heavy drinking, a court heard.

Anthony Simkins, a psychiatric nurse of South West Road, in Leytonstone, was found dead at about 10.30am on Friday, May 22, last year.

At an inquest into his death at Walthamstow Coroners' Court today, the court heard that Mr Simkins' landlord and friend, Leslie Luke, had gone to a flat he was letting to Mr Simkins to collect some mail on May 18, and found Mr Simkins “in a daze”, talking about builders upstairs who weren't actually there.

In a statement read to the court, Mr Luke said his friend was very drunk and he told him to drink some water and get some sleep.

Mr Luke said he left and called Mr Simkins later that day and the next, but couldn't get a reply. On the Friday, he went around and found Mr Simkins slumped at the bottom of the stairs.

The London Ambulance Service and police were called, but Mr Simkins was pronounced dead at the scene, the court heard.

Mr Luke said his friend wasn't a heavy drinker, but would drink when he wasn't at work.

Pathologist Dr Michael Heath said while there was only small traces of alcohol in Mr Simkins' blood, the post mortem revealed fatty tissue on his liver. He said Mr Simkins had probably died of hypothermia associated with steatosis of the liver.

Recording a verdict of dependence on alcohol, the coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox, said: “In a man of 38, there would have to be some reason why he was lying at the bottom of the stairs for such a long time that he got so cold and hypothermia set in.

“The logical explanation is that he was intoxicated, lying on the stairs. He became cold and and must have been there for some hours, so by the time he was found, no alcohol was in his blood.”

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