Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable choked to death on vomit

Former Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable choked to death on his own vomit at the end of a three day bender.

An inquest in his home town of Aberdare recorded a verdict of accidental death today.

It revealed that the former hell- raiser effectively drunk himself to death.

Cable, 40, a much-loved character in the world of rock, was found to have so much alcohol in his system it was regarded as toxic.

He had eaten a Chinese takeaway meal at home after another heavy drinking session at a local pub on June 6 this year.

He continued drinking afterwards and was left downstairs asleep on the carpet by his partner and a friend when they went to bed.

Cable was found unconscious on the floor of his luxury home in Llwydcoed, Aberdare, south Wales, in the early hours of the following morning.

Partner Rachel Jones, 33, who had come downstairs to check on him at about 5.30am, ran hysterically into the street in her dressing gown.

In a bizarre twist, she flagged down the first car she saw to find Aaron Cable at the wheel, a cousin of the drummer's on the way to work in Pembrokeshire.

Detective Sergeant Richie Jones, giving evidence at the inquest, said Mr Cable went into the house and saw his famous relative unconscious on the floor.

He went over to him and said "come on Stu wake up it's Aaron," Mr Jones said.

"He pushed him on to his back, wiped the vomit from his mouth with a cloth and started CPR," he added.

He said an ambulance was called but when paramedics arrived they were no more successful at reviving him than his relative.

The drummer was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Mr Jones began giving evidence today by telling the inquest about Cable's movements over the three days before his death.

On June 4 Cable had gone to a local rugby club with his partner and had sung there publicly with her.

"He had been drinking large amounts of vodka and did not appear to be his usual outgoing self," he said.

He returned home at 2am where he continued drinking, he said.

The following day Cable hosted his BBC Wales radio show but immediately went to local pub the Welsh Harp afterwards.

His partner was woken to the loud strains of AC/DC early that morning and discovered he had returned home with friends, he said.

They continued drinking vodka and Jack Daniel's, a Tennessee whiskey, into the early hours of the morning.

Cable awoke in the late afternoon and after trying and failing to arrange a visit to his son with his first wife, went to the Welsh Harp pub again.

He stayed there until late, returning home with a friend by taxi carrying a takeaway meal which he, the friend and his partner shared.

"He was extremely drunk at that point but despite this he proceeded to get a bottle of vodka out of the fridge and drink it neat," the Detective Sergeant said.

He added that later he would also begin drinking Jack Daniel's.

Aberdare coroner Peter Maddox said post mortem results on Cable found the high level of alcohol in his body was in the toxic range.

Large amounts of food debris found in his respiratory system were the result of vomiting triggered by acute alcohol poisoning.

The death of Cable was greeted by an outpouring of grief in the community where he grew up and went on to fame.

Up to 5,000 fans brought Aberdare to a standstill this summer at the start of a public funeral service for the much-loved drummer.

Tearful fans thronged the streets and applauded as his coffin was taken to church by horse-drawn carriage.

They were then treated to the raucous sounds of a heavy metal band relayed into the street live as they played inside the church.

Cable was an acknowledged fan of the rock and roll life-style and once predicted he would never live to see the age of 40.

When he died on June 7, having celebrated his landmark 40th birthday, he was thought to have put his wild years behind him.

He formed Stereophonics in the south Wales valleys village of Cwmaman in 1992 with friends Kelly Jones and Richard Jones.

But a much-publicised falling out with other band members saw him sacked in 2003.

Cable was later to describe turning into a "coke-taking zombie" during his period with the band.

The Stereophonics, which had a string of hit singles and albums before his departure, continued their success afterwards.

Family members were largely absent at the brief inquest into his death today, only his brother Paul Cable attending.

A family friend read out a short statement afterwards which said they "could never put into words how much Stuart meant to them".

It concluded with an appeal for the media to respect the family's wish to mourn in private.