Nicholas Evans was found dead at the showground on Thursday, July 23
A SWANSEA dad who was found dead in the toilets at this year's Royal Welsh Show died from alcohol poisoning, a coroner has said.
Nicholas Evans's body was found in a cubicle near the main office on the showground at Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, at 3.20pm on Thursday, July 23. An empty wine bottle, a packet of cigarettes and a newspaper were found nearby.
Just a few hours earlier Prime Minister David Cameron had visited the final day of the four-day event, billed as the largest agricultural show in Europe.
An inquest, held in Brecon, heard how a toxicological report found there was so much alcohol in his blood he would have been four times the legal limit to drive.
In a statement read at the inquest Mr Evans said his son thought working at the show would be a "good opportunity" to show his own children what he used to do when working with his father.
He said his son had gone to the shop to buy cigarettes and bread at about 10am but he and his wife Karen wouldn't see him again.
"I was a little angry as he was meant to be helping me and spending time with us, but he was nowhere to be seen," said Mr Evans senior.
"At 3.30pm a message came over the loudspeaker asking if the person who'd reported an injured person near the cattle sheds could return to the show office. I had a feeling it was to do with us and turned to my wife.
"The police came about an hour later and said, 'are you Tim Evans?' and for some reason I said 'I've been expecting you'. I have no idea why I said it.
"His death has been a complete shock to us all."
PC Ailsa Lawton of Dyfed Powys Police, who attended at the scene, said it was not possible to say if the bottle of wine belonged to Mr Evans or had been left by anyone else. She also said, despite inquiries, police couldn't establish how long he had been in the toilet.
Medics from the St John Ambulance, who suspected he had a heart attack, attempted to resuscitate him but the showground doctor pronounced him dead after 20 minutes.
Coroner Andrew Barkley detailed his medical conditions, which included psoriasis, arthritis and depression, and said Mr Evans had been in severe daily pain.
A toxicological report showed there to be 394 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of Mr Evans's blood. The drink-drive limit is 80 and Mr Barkley said any reading above 350 is normally fatal.
It found prescription medication was only at therapeutic levels and played no part in the death, and though the postmortem showed an enlarged heart and coronary artery there was no evidence of a heart attack or blood clot.
Mr Barkley added: "What is found of significance is the level of alcohol. It would exceed the limit for driving by four times. I find the death was caused by blood alcohol poisoning and record the death was alcohol-related."
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