Loyal and hard-working Truro man died of an overdose while awaiting rehab

A loyal and hard-working grafter who “never had a bad word to say” died of a drug overdose while waiting for a bed at a rehab centre, an inquest heard. Popular Joshua Annear, from Truro, has died unexpectedly aged just 30.

His devastated mother paid tribute to her beloved son saying he was adored by friends and family and they had been left in pieces by his sudden death in November 2023. His girlfriend also remembered him as “the best man ever,” saying they were planning a future and wanted to get married and start a family.

Josh, as he was known to those around him, worked at the Truro recycling center and thousands of people paid tribute to him after his death. Today (May 7), an inquest into his death at Cornwall Coroner’s Court in Truro heard he had been addicted to drugs for around 15 years and had become frustrated waiting for help.

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The inquest heard he had a history of illicit drug use with previous intentional and accidental overdoses, but “loved life” and was looking forward to the future when he died. At the time he told those around him that appointments at various services were often cancelled, and he was waiting for a place at a rehabilitation center to get help for drug addiction.

The inquest heard how he was known to We Are With You, a charity which supports people who misuse alcohol and drugs. We Are With You said Josh used drugs as a way to cope with his mental health issues and the difficult circumstances he faced throughout his life. There was said to be only one cancellation and the rest of the date changes were the team trying to fit in their availability and Josh’s busy work schedule.

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In a statement, Josh’s mother Sharon Trudgeon said he was a confident young man with an impeccable sense of humor and was excited at the prospect of going to rehab and detoxing to improve his life. “He was loyal and respectful to his friends and family,” she said. “Growing up in Truro, he was well known and the tributes after his death have been in the thousands from all over the world.

“Josh has worked hard throughout his adult life in a wide variety of jobs and made friends everywhere. He was open with his parents about his struggles and we talked every day of his life until the last few weeks.”

His girlfriend, Kyra Dunnett, said she knew he was taking a number of drugs but was working hard to get better. On the morning of Josh’s death, her father found him “blue and bottle” lying on the kitchen floor of his home where the three of them lived.

Her father called an ambulance and started chest compressions until the ambulance arrived. “Josh had to go to rehab for drug use,” Kyra explained. “He was on the waiting list but Josh was losing hope about it. He didn’t want to die and was making plans for the future.”

Her father said: “I would describe Josh as very gentle, he never had a bad word to say about anyone and he wasn’t confrontational at all,” he said. “Kyra and Josh were in love with each other. I knew he was doing drugs, but he certainly didn’t show it.”

He said that in the days leading up to Josh’s death, he was “not himself” and was disheartened by the wait for a bed in a rehabilitation facility. “He’s been waiting for a call to that effect and found it hard that the call didn’t come.”

He described how in the early hours of the morning he saw Josh eating at the kitchen table and later snoring after falling asleep there. At around 7am she went to ask if Josh wanted a lift to work and found him sitting on the floor “almost like he had slipped off his chair”. He was rushed to hospital where doctors tried to save his life, but he died later that day with his family around him.

In the month of his death, We Are With You asked Josh to reconsider entering residential treatment, after previously rejecting the idea because his drug addiction was worsening. “His drug use had become increasingly problematic and he was taking a variety of illicit substances,” said Robert Dawes, director of operations at the charity. He explained how Josh was on a structured treatment plan and awaiting residential treatment when he died, having agreed to take part in it.

“There is still limited bed space and you have to wait for rooms to become available and that is the situation he was in at the time of his death,” Mr Dawes added. He said We Are With You felt Josh’s journey was handled appropriately, given that previous attempts to get Josh involved in residential treatment had been refused.

“He told us he had reduced his drug use to a lower level in preparation for residential treatment, which was the right thing to do,” Mr Dawes added. He explained that no date had been given for residential treatment and at the time the service was waiting for a bed to become available to go ahead with this.

Emma Hillson, assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, recorded a finding of drug-related death. She said: “I think it is most likely, and although within their quoted therapeutic limits, the combination of drugs taken, against the backdrop of Josh’s enlarged heart, resulted in over-sedation and the fatal cardiac arrhythmia that led to his death.” .

Following the inquest, his mother gave an emotional statement on behalf of the family, describing him as a “gorgeous young man” who had a complicated relationship with drugs but wanted to lead a clean life. She said: “Joshua was a wonderful young man who had many aspirations for the future.

“Despite his battle with addiction, we all remained very close and supported him completely. He had the kindest heart for his entire family and loved his role as a funny, loving big brother.

“Joshua used substances from a young age and remained in their grip for 15 years. What began as an experiment in his teenage years then led to a complicated addiction during his brief adulthood.

“This never diminished his lively character, his passion for learning and his love of all things nature. Joshua wanted to have children, he wanted to live a clean life, and he was determined to prove to himself that he was much more than his own. addictions.

“He was loved by so many and is missed every minute of every day. Drugs destroyed our lives. Our beloved son died and our lives stopped. We hope Joshua’s death can be a lesson to others. We’d tell him many times over the years: you’re not invincible and now he’s gone.”

For We Are With You support with alcohol, drugs or mental health call 01872 263001 or visit https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/services/cornwall-truro/. For NHS help and advice, call free on 0800 038 5300 any time, day or night. The team behind the 24/7 hotline will listen to you and determine the best way to help you.