A HOMELESS man who was well known in Newport, and liked by many in the town, died after drinking alcohol and taking heroin.

Flowers were left in tribute to Terence 'Taz' Ballard in Scarrots Lane, where he used to sit, following his death on September 14 last year, and Islanders donated to a fundraising campaign to pay for his funeral.

An inquest held on Thursday last week heard he died as a result of central nervous system depression, while staying at a friend's house nearby.

A post mortem found he was twice the drink drive limit and fell unconscious after taking a fatal dose of heroin.

His friends, who had been watching television, said they found him slumped in the kitchen after he had gone to make a cup of tea.

An ambulance was called, but Mr Ballard, 42, could not be saved.

Coroner Caroline Sumeray said: "Heroin acts on the part of the brain that processes the very basic functions of the body. What happens is, if you take a drug like morphine, it works on that part of the brain. Then you drift off into sleep, then you drift off into a coma."

"Heroin is a nervous system depressant and so is alcohol."

She concluded Mr Ballard's death was drug and alcohol related.

"This gentleman was 42 years of age and homeless with a history of addiction," she said.

"I am satisfied the heroin found in his system, combined with the alcohol, resulted in his collapse and subsequent death."

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