Saturday 26 November 2022 04:26 PM Homeless man made final bed for his faithful Jack Russell before dying in the ... trends now
A 'loveable' well-known rough sleeper was seen making a final bed for his faithful Jack Russell just hours before dying in the night outside a branch of Costa just before Christmas.
Jonathan Ellerington, 41, was a regular in Hull city centre who was known for always having his beloved dog Teddy by his side, but he also had a partner and loving family.
An inquest into his death heard CCTV footage showed him appearing to slump and lose consciousness just days before Christmas on December 17 2021.
It comes after figures published by the ONS this week showed the number of homeless people who died on the streets in 2021 had risen by almost eight percent compared to the year before.
Jon was described by his sister as a 'loveable guy' who was devoted to his dog Teddy, even making him his own bed just hours before his death
Although Jon was not technically homeless, he often slept rough with Teddy as he struggled to fight his drug addiction
There was a sharp rise in the number of estimated suicides to 99 people, or 13.4 percent of all homelessness deaths in England and Wales, while 259 people are thought to have died in drug-related incidents.
Jon left behind a daughter who he had been trying to kick his drug habit for, his beloved Jack Russell which is now being cared for by his family, and seven siblings.
On the night of his death, several people tried to check on Jon and two men even left food for him.
Sadly, he was found lifeless on the pavement the following morning.
Jon had desperately tried to end his drug habit so he could see his daughter, the inquest heard on Thursday.
While he was often seen sleeping on the streets, he had a home in Gipsyville, Hull and lived with his partner.
But sometimes he would take Teddy to the city centre and would end up sleeping rough.
Following his death in Hull on December 18 last year, a post-mortem examination found Jon had potentially lethal levels of heroin in his system, along with evidence of methadone, painkillers and sedatives, which would have affected his breathing and slowed his heart.
Describing her brother as a 'loveable guy', Jon's sister said: 'Jon did get off the drugs from time to time and would go cold turkey, but it would never last.
'He actually got clean for two years because he wanted to stay in touch with his daughter. During that time he managed to get work at Wren Kitchens and Crown Paints.'
In a statement, she added: 'He would also look after my boys sometimes. He was such a loveable guy and was always seen as the fun uncle. He was also a bit of a joker.'
His sister said an incident at secondary school deeply affected him and this was partly to blame for his later addiction.
