A MAN suffered a fatal heart attack after taking too many pills to try to control his depression, a coroner concluded yesterday.

Former forklift truck driver Vernon Law died at Darlington Memorial Hospital in November 1999, after collapsing at home.

Doctors were baffled by the aggressive and delirious condition of the normally placid 40-year-old.

His condition worsened and he began to attack staff in the psychiatric ward. He died of a heart attack as six staff were struggling to restrain him.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, South West Durham and Darlington coroner Colin Penna said that no one could be blamed for Mr Law's death.

He added that no one could have known that Mr Law, of Limehurst Road, Darlington, had taken more tablets than recommended of the anti-psychotic drug thioridizan, which he had been prescribed the previous year.

The Bishop Auckland inquest heard the drug was now rarely used to treat psychiatric problems after it was found to have dangerous side-effects. The warning was given a year after Mr Law's death.

Home Office pathologist Dr Peter Cooper concluded that the drug and a condition that was common among psychiatric patients, known as excited delirium, had combined to cause the heart attack.

Mr Penna said: "He administered his own tablets when they were required, so unfortunately it was not obvious that thioridazine was involved at all until after his very sad demise, because he was not sufficiently coherent at any stage to say what he had taken.

"One can go on with possible theories for ever, but had this been known it might have been otherwise."

County Durham and Darlington Priority Services and South Durham Health Care NHS Trust expressed their sympathies to Mr Law's family.

A spokeswoman for the organisations said yesterday: "This is a tragic case, and we are thankful that a conclusion has been reached. It has been a difficult time for everyone involved.

"Our thoughts are with Mr Law's partner and his family, and we will be happy to meet with them at any time.