Paul Dono, a ‘beloved’ rough sleeper was tragically found dead in his hotel room on the day he had been found a permanent home, an inquest heard.
The 46-year-old man died at the Travelodge in Longton Road, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, the day after he had checked in.
His body was discovered by his support worker, Chloe Henshaw, who asked reception staff to let her in.
She had found accommodation for Paul, who previously lived in a tent on Wolstanton Marsh, and had gone to tell him the good news on October 25 last year.
WHAT INVESTIGATION REVEALS
Mr Dono has been struggling with alcohol and drug addictions since the age of 12, an inquest into his death heard.
But despite his personal demons, he was very tidy and his personality was described as ‘lovely’ and ‘fabulous’.
HIS LIFE IN SUMMARY
At the height of his substance issues, he drank three bottles of wine a day along with whiskey.
On other days, he would down 16 cans of beer or spend up to £150 on heroin.
But despite this, Mr Dono was hugely popular with many people who strived to help him.
Over the years, he got sober but would relapse. When sober, Mr Dono enjoyed going to the gym and spending time with his family and dogs.
In 2021, while living on the marsh, the community had given him a tent, food, and had even offered him respite in their own homes.
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Before his death, Mr Dono had visited A&E 22 times between May 2023 to October 2023 due to his alcoholism.
He also suffered from epilepsy, depression, left ventricular enlargement, acute pancreatic liver disease and other health issues, although these factors did not contribute to his death according to pathology and toxicology reports.
