A DRUG addict dad was harassed and attacked because of his habit and later died of an overdose, an inquest has heard.

The death of Neil Yusitis was recorded as misadventure at Warrington coroner's court last Wednesday.

Mr Yusitis, aged 26, was found dead at his home in Canterbury Road by his fiance Ann Shakeshaft in July.

"I woke up in the night and turned to face him to give him a cuddle and saw blood around his mouth," said Ms Shakeshaft in a statement.

"I shook him but he wouldn't wake up. He felt stiff and I knew he was dead."

Mr Yusitis started taking cannabis while a pupil of SS Fisher & Moore, moved on to ecstasy and LSD in his later teens and then became a heroin and cocaine addict.

In court he was described as a happy person but he had previously self-harmed and talked about killing himself.

When the couple lived in Afton they had windows smashed and were harassed by locals. Then, in Canterbury Road, windows were smashed again and the pressure got to him - he started drinking more and saying he was tired all the time.

Ms Shakeshaft said: "He would get depressed and he wouldn't leave the house. He couldn't go anywhere because youths would chase him."

The court heard the day before he died he took heroin and crack cocaine with two friends.

They talked about suicide and self-harm and one friend said they all agreed 'they didn't have the bottle for suicide'.

The police were called to Mr Yusitis' home the next morning to find Ms Shakeshaft in a 'terrible state', and Mr Yusitis dead with a bottle of sedative tablets on his stomach.

Assistant coroner for Cheshire Dr Janet Napier said: "It's a very sad when a young man starts off in life quite happily and but becomes involved with the wrong group.

"Although he found happiness with his partner and his children and a caring family he was getting more involved in the drugs scene despite attempts to help him.

"He appeared to getting worse rather than better."

But she said she could no evidence he intended to kill himself.