A homeless alcoholic who died after he was found sleeping in a bin in Yarmouth could have been killed from climbing in or out of his temporary shelter, an inquest heard yesterday.

A homeless alcoholic who died after he was found sleeping in a bin in Yarmouth could have been killed from climbing in or out of his temporary shelter, an inquest heard yesterday.

Shortly after being found in the bin at the back of King Street, Barry Howarth, 39, died from internal bleeding on his way to the James Paget University Hospital, Gorleston.

An inquest at Yarmouth Magistrates' Court heard that when the father of two woke up in the half-open bin at the back of Capital Kebabs shop, he told paramedics he had hurt himself falling out the bin.

He died on October 31 from internal bruising after a broken rib punctured a major blood vessel - causing a quarter of his blood to fill his chest cavity. A post-mortem examination revealed that the amount of alcohol in his blood was three times the legal drink-drive limit.

After hearing that Mr Howarth may have been assaulted or fallen over drunk or during an epileptic fit, deputy coroner Nicholas Holroyd could not say what caused the fatal injuries. He recorded an open verdict.

Mr Holroyd said: “It was the breaking of the ribs which led directly to the death. How he came to suffer the broken ribs is a matter of speculation.”