The family of Emmanuel Hercules (24) wept as Coroner Gordon Ryall returned an open verdict at an inquest at Peterborough Town Hall yesterday.

Although Emmanuel – or Manny as he was affectionately known – had been found with more than 10 times the prescribed amount of codeine, a painkiller prescribed for his back trouble, in his blood, Mr Ryall could not say, without any reasonable doubt, that Mr Hercules had committed suicide.

Returning an open verdict, Mr Ryall said: "He had a number of pressures in his life and he was a very mixed up young man."

Mr Hercules, a father of one, who was described as a likeable character throughout the inquest, was an emergency care practitioner with East Anglian Ambulance Trust.

He was found dead at his home in Parnwell, Peterborough, at about 9.45am, on Saturday, December 15, last year by his fiancé, Joanna Andrews, who he was due to marry this November.

Ms Andrews said she and Mr Hercules went to bed at about 11pm the night before. However, not feeling well, she stirred at about 2am and went downstairs to sleep.

When she woke, she let Emmanuel sleep in as it had been the first time Emmanuel had slept all week, but when she went upstairs to wake him, she found him unconscious.

Ms Andrews, also an emergency care practitioner for the East Anglian Ambulance Trust, attempted to resuscitate him, but he was later pronounced dead at Peterborough District Hospital.

A toxicological report, completed by Dr Stephen Morley, found Emmanuel had more than 10 times the prescribed amount of codeine in his blood, which was likely to have caused his death.

The report also found Mr Hercules had in his blood more than the prescribed level of diazepam, prescribed to help him sleep, and amphetamines, which he took to stay awake for a work meeting the day before his death.

Dr Morley said he could not be certain if the fatal amount of codeine had been taken in one full amount of about 15 to 30 tablets in the hours leading up to his death, or over a longer period of time.

The inquest also heard how Emmanuel had been suffering from depression linked to problems in his job and the death of his parents, and had also had difficulty sleeping.

As well as his fiancé, Emmanuel leaves a two-year-old son Lowin, brother Tarro and sisters Lorrinda, Alex and Tara.