A NEWPORT man choked to death just days after being given permission to see his son, an inquest heard yesterday.

Matthew Booth, aged 29, of Tone Square, Bettws, died in his home on September 12, 2014.

Newport Coroner’s Court heard how he had been drinking with his friend Charlene Satori that day. Mr Booth, who had been on Mirtazapine for mental health problems, had been in good spirits after a difficult time.

Giving evidence, Mr Booth’s mother, Maureen Booth, said he would often go months without taking drink or drugs and that he was on the right track after being granted visitation rights to see his son.

He said: “He was absolutely ecstatic because he had his son back.

“He had this big beaming smile on his face. He told me, ‘love you Mum, see you tomorrow’ and tomorrow never came.”

Mr Booth’s then girlfriend, Kirsty Chorley, arranged to meet him and Ms Satori at his home in Bettws on the evening of September 12.

Giving evidence, Ms Chorley said Mr Booth was annoyed when they went out without him and left him with Ms Satori’s two children.

She said: “It all kicked off and Charlene took Matthew into the kitchen. I was trying to calm the kids down.”

Having calmed down, Mr Booth had something to eat before lying down on the sofa in the sitting room and eventually going to bed, she said.

Ms Chorley and Ms Satori stayed watching television heard him coughing at around 1.50am.

They rushed to the bedroom and called for an ambulance. Ms Satori performed CPR to no avail.

The ambulance arrived at around 2.10am, before Mr Booth was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.

Dr I.W. Thompson carried out a post mortem examination at the Royal Gwent Hospital on September 18, 2014. He found the cause of death to be aspiration pneumonitis and that multi-drug use contributed to it. Assistant coroner Wendy James returned a verdict of misadventure.

There had been no evidence of any recent or significant external trauma. Mr Booth’s alcohol level was 99 and amphetamine was found in his system along with low concentrations of Mirtazapine and Diazepam.

Summing up, the assistant coroner for Gwent, Wendy James, said: “I’m satisfied from the evidence before me that there’s been a full investigation and there are no suspicious circumstances involving Matthew’s death.

“There’s no evidence to indicate that Matthew was aware of the potentially fatal consequences of consuming these substances together.”