Mansfield dad-of-five tragically died of a drug overdose aged only 49 while suffering severe mental illness

Wayne John Knowles was lying on his sofa with his dog by his feet in his bungalow on Tithby Court, when his stepfather discovered him, just after 6pm on Wednesday, April 23, last year.

DC Abbie Roberts, of Mansfield CID, found no suspicious circumstances but noted there were a large variety of prescription and non-prescription drugs, including 12 cannisters of nitrous oxide.

She said Wayne's family told her he suffered from pain in his legs and they felt “he had been asking for help for many years but no one listened.”

His ex-wife had re-married two weeks before and this had a significant impact on him, DC Roberts said.

Their relationship broke down due to his drug use and he was known to take cocaine and amphetamine to cope with the pain in his legs, she added.

The inquest, at Nottingham Council House, heard several instances of Wayne’s “very bad” paranoia and his iPhone revealed search terms relating to self harm.

Wayne reported his neighbours to the police claiming they were removing tiles from his roof and entering his property in January.

He contacted Lincolnshire police several times to claim his neighbours on a caravan site in Skegness were planning to shoot him, in April 2025.

His family took him back to Mansfield because he was very unwell and he was referred to Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s crisis team.

Michael Taylor, clinical lead with the crisis team at Sherwood Oaks Hospital, said Wayne presented with suicidal thoughts but denied any plans to action them and said he hoped to move out of the area.

At a follow-up meeting on April 7, Wayne engaged well and spoke about the voices he heard which he tried to ignore by putting the television on.

His prescription for one antidepressant, Fluoxetine, was reduced and another, for Mirtazapine, was increased.

After he failed to attend a meeting on April 15, four attempts were made to contact him before an unannounced visit was made to his home.

Wayne told them he no longer wanted the crisis team’s help and declined another meeting.

He was discharged from their care after it was agreed he had the capacity to make his own decisions and did not pose a risk to himself, Mr Taylor said.

“I didn’t feel he required informal admission let alone admission under the Mental Health Act,” he said.

A post-mortem found the cause of his death was multiple drug overdose and bronchopneumonia.

Wayne's GP at Sandy Lane Surgery confirmed he was diagnosed with a paranoid personality disorder in 2006, and had previously been treated for overdoses and episodes of self harm.

On Wednesday, September 9, Helena Gallagher, assistant coroner for Nottinghamshire, said she wasn’t satisfied there was enough evidence to say Wayne took the overdose deliberately and recorded a conclusion of drug-related death.

She offered her sincere condolences to his friends and family.