Mystery surrounds the death of man whose body was found three months after he went missing on the day of his mum's funeral. Paul Ryan was last seen in Manchester Road, Denton, on December 1 last year.
That was the day of his mother’s funeral — which he never attended. That evening, CCTV footage showed the 50-year-old walking towards the Audenshaw Reservoirs, where police found his rucksack several weeks later.
Despite extensive searches around the reservoirs, it was not until March 3 that Paul's decomposed body was found in a patch of dense undergrowth nearby. At an inquest at Manchester South Coroner's Court today (Wednesday), a coroner said they were unable to determine the cause of Paul's death.
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The hearing was told that Paul had a 'long-standing history of anxiety and depression' for which his GP had prescribed him medication. He was also a known drug user and had attended hospital complaining of chest pain as a result of his misuse.
John Ryan, Paul's older brother, explained that his sibling lived with his mother and said the pair maintained a 'close' relationship until her death in November of last year. Paul was 'tremendously affected' by her loss but had tried to separate himself from it, John told the inquest.
When his mother's funeral took place on December 1, Paul did not attend. "I was fully expecting him to be there," John said.
Following the funeral, John said he went round to the house where Paul and his mother had lived in Mansfield Crescent, Denton, but his brother was nowhere to be seen. He waited but when Paul failed to return home by the following afternoon, John phoned the police.
An investigation was launched and an extensive search of the Audenshaw Reservoirs and the surrounding area was carried out. On December 28, a police officer found Paul's rucksack on an embankment near to the reservoir.
However, it was not until more than two months later that Paul's body was eventually found. A worker came across his decomposed remains while repairing a fence around the reservoir on the afternoon March 3.
The inquest heard it was likely that Paul had been there for 'a significant period of time' but that his body had been hidden from search teams due to its challenging location. A post-mortem examination on Paul's body - carried out by pathologist Dr Jamie Edward Robinson - recorded his medical cause of death as 'unascertained'.
Toxicology tests showed Paul had amphetamines, cocaine and morphine in his system at the time of his death. The level of ampetamine was said to be 'in keeping with significant abuse', the inquest heard.
Dr Robinson said that while it was possible that the drugs had 'exacerbated' a pre-existing heart condition in Paul, the decompositon of his body meant it was not possible to determine his cause of death.
Giving evidence, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Whittaker said Paul was last seen on CCTV at about 9pm on December 1. He was walking along Manchester Road in Denton with a female friend at the time and the pair hugged before Paul headed in the direction of the Audenshaw Reservoirs on his own.
The woman later told officers that she was aware Paul had amphetamines and heroin in his possession at the time. DCI Whittaker confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Paul's death.
Recording an 'open conclusion', coroner Adrian Farrow said he was 'unable to make a definitive finding' as to how Paul came by his death. He added that were several possible theories, including that a fatal combination of drugs may have contributed, or that Paul may have suffered hypothermia, cardiac irregularities or a brain injury.
Addressing Paul's brother at the end of hearing, the coroner said: "I'm sorry I have not been able to reach any firm conclusions about the death of your brother, but I hope what you have heard and read in this inquest today gives you perhaps a little bit more information than you had before.
"I'm very sorry for their loss of your brother, as well as the loss of your mother, both of which came one after another. I hope having now had this inquest, you can begin to grieve for your family."
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