Preston mum had premonition of son Christopher Shields tragic death

The grieving mother of a Preston crack addict revealed she had a premonition drugs would kill him just days before he died.

Speaking after the inquest into her son’s death, a distraught Shirley Shields admitted: “I predicted it the week before. And it was like he knew too.”

Christopher Shields was found unresponsive on the floor of a friend’s home last September. Attempts to revive him failed.

Area Coroner Chris Long heard the 36-year-old had a cocktail of drugs in his system which proved a lethal combination with a chest infection he had been suffering at the time.

A pathologist decided the cause of his death was a mixture of narcotics and pneumonia.

Outside court Mrs Shields said: “Christopher was a very loving son and loved his family. But he had a breakdown and ended up on crack (cocaine).

“He had split up with his partner, who was everything to him. He was a lovely lad, but he went down the wrong path. It (the drugs) just took its toll.”

She said his family believed the pneumonia had been caused by falling into a ditch about a week before he died, leaving him up to his neck in cold water.

“He came home and was wet through and freezing. He was laughing, he had had a brilliant night. He just got changed and went out again. I think that definitely contributed to the bronchopneumonia.”

The inquest was told Christopher, of Maple Grove, Ribbleton, had been out with good mate Robert Wilson the evening before his death and had stayed the night at his friend’s home in nearby Pine Close, sleeping on the couch.