A MUCH-LOVED Wrexham football club coach died from cocaine poisoning, an inquest heard.

Martin Paul Ford, 39, was found dead in his bed at his grandmother’s home in Deva Way in the town on May 7 last year.

Toxicology reports showed he had cocaine and a cocaine metabolate benzoylecgonine in his blood and North Wales East and Central Coroner John Gittins concluded that Mr Ford, of Rose Grove, Wrexham died a drug-related death.

The hearing heard that the football coach had enjoyed mostly good health, but he was put on blood pressure tablets three or four years before his death.

His wife, Kelly Ford, said in a statement that was the only medication she knew he took.

She said that the pair had rowed and that he had gone to stay with his grandmother, Delia Douglas. She went over to see him with their daughter on the Sunday before her husband died.

“Things were still a little bit frosty, but he seemed his normal self. He was sweating a bit, but it was a warm day. It was the last time I saw him,” she said.

Mrs Douglas said she encouraged her grandson to go back and “sort things out” with his wife and on that Sunday he had agreed to go back to her.

She said they were all out in the garden playing with the couple’s daughter at her home, but she recalled Mr Ford complaining of being hot and later taking three showers, while he was also off his dinner.

“It was hot and he drank a couple of bottles of water at a time and complained of being thirsty,” she said.

His family later heard Mr Ford shouting after he had gone to bed and his grandmother and his niece went to check on him. In the morning they discovered him in the same position, lying on his back. Ambulance staff attempted CPR but he was declared dead later that Monday morning.

Tests by a consultant clinical scientist showed Mr Ford had 1.6mg of cocaine per litre of blood and the coroner noted that levels of 0.1 and greater could be toxic for some people.

The level of cocaine metabolate, benzoylecgonine, was at 4.4 mg per litre. The drug-driving limit is 0.05.

The coroner said: “It is a very significant indication of cocaine use.”

A post-mortem carried out by Dr Mared Owen-Casey found that the cause of death was acute cocaine toxicity.

Emotional tributes were paid to Mr Ford for his work in the community and with Queens Park FC when his funeral was held at a packed St Giles’ Parish Church in Wrexham last May.

His wife said: “He spent a lot of time working for them (Queens Park) and he loved the work but found it stressful.

“He was my best friend and he was the love of my life and all his family and friends miss him.”