Mummified remains were of Barton Mills man who died from alcohol and self harm, inquest rules

The mummified remains of a man found in a property at Barton Mills had to be identified using DNA technology, an inquest has heard.

Worried neighbours called police after having not seen the ‘reclusive’ Bruce Adams for about three weeks.

Officers who broke into the property in Manor View on July 7 found the badly decomposed and mummified remains of a man in a bedroom.

Deputy Suffolk Coroner Dr Daniel Sharpstone told the inquest in Bury St Edmunds on Monday that furniture and mirrors in every room had been smashed but there was no evidence of forced access from the outside.

Police found several weeks worth of unopened mail inside the house.

The body of Mr Adams, 56, could only be positively identified by matching a DNA sample to a relative.

A post-mortem examination identified signs of possible self harm and toxicology tests showed alcohol at a level which could result in a person falling into a coma.

Dr Sharpstone concluded that Mr Adams died as a result of a combination of self harm and alcohol intoxication.