Author set for US stardom died of massive morphine overdose

An author on the brink of Hollywood stardom has died at home after taking a massive morphine overdose.

Timothy Guest, 34, of Muswell Hill, was found unconscious in bed on 31 July by his wife, Joanna, who tried in vain to revive him.

Barnet coroner's court heard he was an "extreme" recreational user of heroin, cocaine, crack and alcohol but was seeking help from his GP. Tests showed he had 1,020 micrograms of morphine per litre of blood - 100 times the lethal dose.

Guest's first novel, My Life in Orange, told of his upbringing in communes in England and India. He wrote for The Guardian and Telegraph Magazine and is hailed as a pioneer of virtual game Second Life. Hollywood actor Brad Pitt had apparently bought film rights for his work Second Lives: A Journey Through Virtual Worlds.

Assistant deputy coroner Patricia Harding's narrative verdict said he died of non-dependent drug use.