A MAN who died during his trial for attempted murder may have taken drink or drugs in the hours before his death, an inquest heard today.

York man Paul Michael Brolly, 31, was at HMP Armley in Leeds when he died on May 23.

At the opening of the inquest into his death, area coroner Jonathan Leach revealed that he had asked to see a nurse in the morning of May 23 when he was about to be taken to Leeds Crown Court.

“He was deemed unfit and it was believed he was under the influence of an unknown substance,” the coroner said at Wakefield Coroner’s Court.

Brolly, also known as Rishworth, was kept at the prison and at 3.45 another prisoner raised the alarm that he was unwell.

Paramedics gave him resuscitation but were unable to save his life and he was declared dead at 4.15.

A post mortem report could not immediately find a cause of death, the inquest heard, but the pathologist is awaiting toxicological and other reports into whether he had taken substances such as drink or drugs and whether he had any medical condition that could account for his death, the inquest heard.

The inquest was adjourned to a date to be decided.

Brolly was not due to appear in a courtroom on May 23, but his barristers had asked for him to be taken to the court cells at Leeds Crown Court so that they could speak to him.

The prosecution case in his trial for attempted murder and conspiracy to murder was reaching its conclusion, and the defence case was expected to start the day after he died.

Brolly had admitted an alternative charge to the attempted murder charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.