A drug addict became the victim of cuckooing after feeling sorry for two Liverpool youths, an inquest heard.

Marcus Connelly allowed the two teenagers to stay at his home but they then threatened him with knives.

Cuckooing is when dealers or drug users move in with vulnerable people and use their premises as a base for their activities.

Mr Connelly, aged 43, of Queens Road, Llandudno Junction, was found dead in an alleyway off Primrose Lane, Llandudno – known locally as a popular haunt for drug users – on April 7.

Several items of drug paraphernalia were found near to his body but investigators confirmed that there was no sign of violence.

An inquest held in Llandudno heard that Mr Connelly, who was employed as a handyman at a local care home, had been a regular user of heroin and cocaine.

He had also been receiving support for his drug taking from substance abuse workers.

At the beginning of this year he said he was reducing his drug levels but he failed to collect several prescriptions.

In March he said he had allowed two young Liverpool lads to stay at his home even though he knew they were dealing, and they proceeded to “take over” his house.

Mr Connelly said they claimed he owed them £2,500 and he was threatened with knives, resulting in him having moved out of his home and instead stay with his mother.

He told a support worker that he had reported the matter to the police.

In a statement read out at the inquest Det Sgt David Mills said police could find no record of such a complaint having been made by Mr Connelly.

Police also revealed that there was also no sign of the two teenagers or anyone having stayed at Mr Connelly’s house.

Consultant pathologist Dr Muhammed Aslam, who carried out the post-mortem examination on Mr Connelly’s body, said cocaine and a potentially lethal level of heroin was found in his system.

He gave the cause of death as cardio-respiratory failure due to toxicity.

Recording a conclusion of a drug-related death, John Gittins, coroner for North Wales East and Central, said it was a sad case as Mr Connelly appeared to have been making progress in his attempt to reduce his drug-taking.

“The problem with illicit drugs is you never know how strong they are,” he said.