A CORONER will write to health agencies recommending steps be taken to raise awareness of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

The decision came at the end of an inquest into the death of 31-year-old epileptic James Stephens, who was found dead in bed by his carer at 1.45pm on April 26 last year.

Mr Stephens, who developed epilepsy as a result of childhood meningitis, had been planning to propose to girlfriend Grace Ramsey, 26, on her birthday a few weeks later.

An inquest at Flax Bourton yesterday heard from carer Gavin Bujniewicz, who worked for Cintre Reachout, an organisation providing one-to-one support to young people and adults with mild to moderate learning difficulties. Mr Bujniewicz, who had found Mr Stephens dead at his home in Overnhill Road, Downend, told the court he was only on his fourth visit to Mr Stephens but it was not unusual for his client to lie in. He said he had checked on him five times and that Mr Stephens had responded to questions by grunting. Mr Bujniewicz said on the final occasion he had gone to the bedroom, seen Mr Stephens' blue feet and realised he was dead. He said he was not aware of SUDEP as a condition.

Kerryn Bell, service manager for Cintre Reachout at the time Mr Stephens died, said she was satisfied Mr Bujniewicz performed his duties correctly and was qualified to do so.

"I had a team of staff who wanted to support James and make his life more enjoyable and I had complete faith in what they did," she said.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Peter Carpenter said Mr Stephens was at a high risk of SUDEP because his form of epilepsy induced absences of up to 60 seconds and violent tonic clonic seizures, affecting the entire brain and causing seizures and spasms.

Dr Carpenter said it meant there was a one in 10 chance of him dying before he was 50 years old from SUDEP.

Dr Carpenter, who had worked with Mr Stephens for 12 years, said: "Most people assume SUDEP occurs during a fit but the truth is we just don't know."

Recording a narrative verdict coroner Maria Voisin said: "The deceased had a known history of epilepsy and he had a full-time carer to support him. On the day of his death he was found by his carer having died from SUDEP."

Speaking after the inquest Mr Stephens' mother Maggie Stephens said: "James can not ever be replaced but if we can raise awareness of SUDEP then perhaps his death was not in vain."

Paul Thomas, general manager of Cintre, said: "The unexplained death of James Stephens as a young man, although from natural causes, is no less sad for having been impossible to predict or prevent. It remains, as the syndrome SUDEP indicates, unexplained."

For more information about SUDEP, visit www.sudep.org.