A British Army veteran was found dead in an alleyway near a well-known Liverpool pub earlier this year, an inquest has confirmed.
Ian Roberts, 52, was discovered on 8 January 2025, seated and unresponsive in an alley outside 9 Pudsey Street, next to Ma Egerton’s pub and close to Liverpool Lime Street Station.
At a hearing held this week at Gerard Majella Courthouse, Coroner Anita Bhardwaj concluded that Mr Roberts died from pneumonia and mixed drug toxicity, ruling the death as drug-related.
The inquest revealed that Mr Roberts had a number of serious health conditions, including drug dependency, an above-knee amputation, seizure disorder, and hepatitis C.
Toxicology results showed a combination of prescribed and illicit substances in his system. A post-mortem confirmed the presence of pneumonia, with the combination of illness and drug toxicity leading to fatal respiratory depression.
Mr Roberts was known to the addiction and mental health charity We Are With You, which last made contact with him in November 2024. At the time, he discussed starting a methadone prescription but ultimately declined further support and did not collect the medication.
While he had previously experienced periods of homelessness, including sleeping rough as recently as November 2024, Mr Roberts was not believed to be sleeping on the streets at the time of his death. He had been living in temporary accommodation, most recently at the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, which was listed as his address at the time of his passing.
Originally born on 30 January 1972, Mr Roberts served in the British Army, though details of his military service were not disclosed at the inquest.
His case highlights ongoing concerns surrounding support for veterans, particularly those facing addiction, complex health issues, and unstable housing after leaving the armed forces.
