A “LIKEABLE and talented” Snainton man died of a drug overdose, an inquest has heard.

Peter George Cummins, 51, was found on January 20 at his flat in Station Road. A post-mortem examination revealed his death was caused by an overdose of amitriptyline.

At the inquest, held at Scarborough Town Hall last Wednesday, coroner Jonathan Heath was told that Mr Cummins had had a history of mental illness going back to the 1990s.

His psychiatrist Dr Neil Mayfield, giving evidence, said that Mr Cummins had presented with the symptoms of schizoaffective disorder, which combines both symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

“I got to know him - he was likeable and talented, quite complex and had a lot of interests,” he said.

He said that Mr Cummins had tackled his illness with high alcohol use and drugs bought on the so-called “dark web”.

The inquest also heard a statement from Mr Cummins’s former partner Lesley Armour who said he was “intelligent and artistic, well-read and funny”.

Mr Heath recorded a conclusion that the death was “drug-related”.

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