Expired milk in fridge shows Northampton man could have been lying dead in flat for three months

Brett Malkin was found dead at his flat in Drayton Walk. It's possible he had been lying dead there for up to three months.

Brett Malkin's body was discovered on May 31 at his flat at Drayton Walk, Kingsthorpethis year after a housing officer was alerted.

Police found the 45-year-old lying in his living room.

But at Brett's inquest yesterday (September 6), the coroner heard how a bottle of expired milk in his fridge was dated March 1 - three months before he was discovered.

In a statement read out by the coroner, a housing officer for Northampton Partnership Homes who first found Brett in his living room and police were called shortly afterwards.

Detective Sergeant Gavin Suttie of Northamptonshire Police told the coroner: "Following investigations, I could see nothing suspicious about this death. It is most likely that Mr Malkin succumbed to a medical episode that caused this person's death."

The inquest also heard that Brett had been in hospital in the months leading up to his death with liver problems.

A cause of death could not be ascertained through a post-mortem. The coroner entered an "open verdict" as to his cause of death.

At the inquest, Brett's family said it was "normal" not to hear from the 45-year-old for months at a time.