Body was found after court no-show

AN Ottery man died of natural causes days before he was due to appear before magistrates over disorderly behaviour charges.

Police found the body of Paul Cleverton in the living room of his Cornhill home just hours after he failed to turn up at court.

The Exeter Coroner’s officer confirmed this week an inquest won’t be carried out into 61-year-old Mr Cleverton’s death, after a post-mortem revealed he died of natural causes.

A warrant was issued for Mr Cleverton’s arrest on August 24 when he didn’t attend a hearing at Central Devon Magistrates Court in Exeter to face public order offence allegations.

Police attended his address shortly after when health workers voiced concern for his welfare. They discovered Mr Cleverton in his in his living room. Officers suspected the body had been there for days.

Mr Cleverton was accused of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or disorderly behaviour near a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress, in Ottery on Monday, August 9.