AN unemployed butcher who injected himself with eight times the lethal amount of insulin and refused treatment knew the consequences of his actions, a coroner said.

North Manchester District Coroner Barrie Williams recorded a verdict of suicide on David Gough, aged 41, of Miller Street, Heywood.

Mr Gough, born and educated in Bury, had been a butcher in Heywood and Rochdale.

He had lived with his family in Kirkholt, Rochdale, before moving to Heywood following the death of his son, David, from a drugs overdose.

Mrs Linda Gough said her husband had been a diabetic for 20 years.

His health had deteriorated and he had been drinking heavily, especially after David died.

After drinking on October 23, he kept injecting himself to the point where Mrs Gough rang the police. She believed he had injected himself 10 times more than he should have done.

Despite the efforts of the family, the police and paramedics to get him to go to hospital or a doctor, he refused and signed a form to that effect. He was found dead in bed the next day.

A post mortem examination found the cause of death was due to excess insulin.

Mr Williams said it had been an intentional overdose by a man who knew the fatal consequences of what he had done.