The family of a man who died on his birthday in Oswestry last year have paid tribute to a man “with a big heart”.

Father of four, Nicholas Jones, 37, died on August 26 after a drugs overdose. His family said that he had struggled with addiction. but told how he was well thought of by others, with a large number of people attending his funeral. 

Younger brother Luke Davies said: “He was always very protective of me. He always had my back growing up.”

Sister Jessica agreed, adding: “He was always very protective of all of us - especially his little sisters.”

Nick who had been homeless, had battled addiction for some time and was looking to try and get sober.

Nick’s mother Lesley Jones, said: “He had told me he was tired of living like that, but he just couldn’t find a way out.

“He would get sober then people would just continually ring him and pester him.”

OTHER NEWS:

His cousin, Debbie Gibbons, said Nick was “very loving” and “very caring” but never got the support he needed, most importantly in periods of his life when he became sober.

“It was just a vicious circle. He couldn’t get rehab without an address, and he couldn’t an address without getting better,” said Debbie. “There was no support and not enough resources were there to help.”

An inquest held on Thursday (February 1) , heard that on the night before he died, Nick had been staying with two other people and “had been fine” and “in good spirits”.

Witnesses said he had taken heroin the night before, as well as drinking vodka and taking other drugs.

The next day one of the people he was staying with found him “half on, half off” his bed at 8.30 in the morning.

According to the coroner, John Ellery, the person who found him tried to administer CPR but he was later pronounced dead by paramedics.

The coroner concluded that his death was “drug and alcohol related” and that “liver disease and hepatitis C” was a contributing factor.