A MONTH after appearing in a charity gig with rock star John Entwhistle, Stow guitarist Derrick Goddard had a heart attack and fell downstairs to his death, an inquest has heard.

Mr Goddard, aged 54 and a builder by trade, was found dead at his home, Quince Cottage in back walls, on June 4.

An inquest at Tewkesbury Magistrates Court on August 30 heard that CID officers were initially called in to investigate the circumstances of his death, but a post mortem later showed that he had suffered a heart attack and was liable to epileptic fits. He also had a blood alcohol level of more than four times the legal driving limit.

Cotswold coroner Lester Maddrell ruled that on a balance of probabilities Mr Goddard died from natural causes.

Just a month before his death Mr Goddard and the band, The Stowaways - he was the group's lead guitarist - had appeared at a successful charity concert in aid of the Friends of Stow Surgery at the town's Royal British Legion Club.

Legendary bass player John Entwhistle, of The Who, also stepped in to play at the event when another Stowaway member was unable to make the date.

The inquest heard from Mr Goddard's ex-wife, Elizabeth that he had been abusing alcohol since 1990, when the couple's marriage broke up.

She said he drank up to a bottle of whisky every day.

GP Dr Carol Williams said Mr Goddard came to the Cheltenham drug and drink addiction unit to see her regularly, but had missed some appointments.

Pathologist Dr Keith McCarthy said Mr Goddard had 344 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood and added that he suffered from circulatory and heart disease and the risk of epileptic fits.

The inquest heard that it appeared Mr Goddard's elbow had smashed into the wall as he fell down the stairs.