CWMBRAN man was discarded like an "unwanted toy" just hours before he was found dead, an inquest heard.

Rodney Jones, aged 31, of Shawley Court, was found dead outside the Court Farm and Oakfield Community centre in Cwmbran in the early hours of Thursday, September 26, 2000.

Mr Jones, who was more commonly known as Bod, was an alcoholic who was rarely sober, the inquest heard.

Detective Superintendent Alan Coates of the Gwent constabulary, who headed the investigation into Mr Jones' death, told the hearing at Tredegar magistrates court how Mr Jones had spent a significant part of the day before his death drinking in the Lower Bridge End Inn pub with some friends.

After consuming a considerable amount of alcohol, Mr Jones and a group of friends later went back to the flat of Kenneth Payne, 32, a former shop manager who lived in Hogarth Close.

After falling into an alcoholic stupor, Payne stripped Mr Jones of his clothes and carried out a series of degrading acts upon him.

While unconscious, obscenities written in lipstick were daubed all over Jones' chest, and jam was spread over his body, which Payne encouraged his dog to lick off. Gwent coroner David Bowen described these acts as "depraved and degrading".

The inquest heard how Payne became fed up with Mr Jones and decided to dress him and dump him in the doorway of the nearby community centre where he was later found dead.

Payne was jailed for three and a half years at Cardiff crown court in October of this year for obstructing the coroner and allowing his premises to be used for the supply of heroin. Payne admitted allowing heroin to be injected into the body of his drunken friend. After that hearing, Det Supt Coates said he was disappointed that Payne's offences were not directly linked to Mr Jones' death.

A post-mortem examination carried out by pathologist Dr Steven Leadbeatter revealed that Mr Jones died as a result of a cocktail of heroin and alcohol. Det Supt Coates said Mr Jones was not known as a frequent heroin user and pathologist tests on a hair sample revealed no presence of the drug for the two months prior to his death.

Gwent coroner David Bowen, who said Mr Jones had been discarded like an unwanted toy, added: "The evidence satisfies me that until the night of the death he had not been involved with heroin for many months. How heroin entered his body is unclear - in fact there is no evidence as to how it entered his body and in light of such evidence the only verdict I can return is that of an open verdict."

After the inquest, Det Sup Coates said he was pleased as the verdict allowed the case to remain "live and open".