AN ALCOHOLIC who was locked in a shipping container to prevent him from drinking while his family were out shopping started a motorbike engine and died from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, his inquest concluded.

Newport-born Jonathan Daunter was found unconscious in the shipping container which was being used as a shed at the back of his home in Old Crick Road, Shirenewton, on February 11, 2017.

He died later that day.

His inquest, held yesterday (September 10) at Gwent Coroner's Court, heard the 50-year-old had a long-standing dependency on alcohol and had relapsed after seeking help.

On the day of Mr Daunter’s death his wife, Kim, needed to go shopping and was fearful of leaving her husband alone.

As a result, a decision was reached that he needed to be placed in the shipping container until her return.

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Coroner Caroline Saunders read out a statement from her, which said: “I had to go to Bristol. I dare not take him because he could jump out of the car to go and get alcohol because of being desperate to get drunk.

“He had water and warm clothes in there. We locked him in there to make sure he would not go off and get alcohol. We were gone about an hour.”

Giving evidence, Nicola Williams, a detective inspector at Gwent Police, told the hearing: “I went to the scene in order to understand the circumstances.

“There was nothing that could tell me that he had been forced there or coerced there.”

Summing up, Ms Saunders said: “A decision was made that for the duration of her absence Mr Daunter would be locked in a porter cabin-like container. I do not have sufficient evidence to know how that decision was made. But there is no evidence before me that would suggest that any force was used to put him in there.

“At some point Mr Daunter started the motorbike. The reason for this is unknown.

“He died as a result of being in an enclosed area with a running vehicle. The medical cause of death given to me was asphyxiation, caused by Carbon Monoxide toxicity, caused by fume inhalation.

"I will adopt that and add on alcohol dependency. These are the matters that contributed but did not directly cause the death.

“Police found there was no suspicious activity or foul play.”

The coroner ruled that Mr Daunter did not intend to take his own life and died from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.