The fiancee of a man who died after taking more than 26 times the safe dosage of a prescription painkiller has spoken of how they talked of marriage the night before his death.

Neil Vincent Bourne, 31, was found dead at his dad’s home in Dane Rise, Winsley, on Saturday, October 11.

An inquest held in Trowbridge yesterday, which recorded a verdict of suicide, heard how Mr Bourne was found to have lethal levels of the painkiller Tramadol in his system – 16,600mg per litre of blood compared to the maximum safe intake of 600mg.

Janet Clayton-Smith, 25, of Southwick, near Trowbridge, speaking after the inquest, said she was the first to find his body.

“The last night we were together we had spoken about getting married this month, so this month has been pretty bad for me,” she said.

“I was surprised he took so much Tramadol. I wasn’t sure what he had taken and how much but when I was told I was in complete shock.”

Miss Clayton-Smith, who is unemployed, described her fiance as a sensitive, popular, loving and caring person who loved cars and animals.

Mr Bourne, who was a volunteer for Bath Cats and Dogs Home in Claverton, led a troubled life, hampered by the pain of losing his loved ones, including his dog Dino and his grandad, who died of pneumonia – although Mr Bourne blamed himself for his grandfather’s death, as he developed the condition after a fall outside the family home while feeding a family pet, which he was meant to have done himself.

Giving evidence, Mr Bourne’s dad Allan, said: “He was very deeply saddened by his granddad’s death. He was very close to his grandad, very close, and vice versa.

“I think he was deeply depressed.

“He used to self-harm. I think one of the things that got Neil depressed was that no matter how hard he tried he always got knocked back.”

Mr Bourne, who had a history of mental health problems, including bipolar disorder and an obsessive compulsive disorder, tried to take an overdose in 2004 after his dog died.

He ended up in intensive care at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

The trained stonemason was also upset when his mum, Liliana, was diagnosed with cancer and feared it would be the last he would see her whenever she went in to hospital. She died after Mr Bourne overdosed.

After a car crash in July 2008, in which he suffered fractured ribs and internal bleeding, Mr Bourne was prescribed liquid morphine and Tramadol.

At the time of his death police discovered a large quantity of prescription drugs in his room, as well as cocaine.

His body was discovered by Miss Clayton-Smith at about 2pm and all attempts by her, his dad and stepmother Susan Sheppard, failed to get a response.

Wiltshire Coroner David Ridley recorded a verdict of suicide.