(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-01-31 09:44

The late son of reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith longed to distance himself from his mother's fame, a friend has told an inquest into his death.

Daniel Smith died from a drug overdose three days after his mother gave birth to baby daughter Dannielynn in September 2006. He was 20.

Friend Ford Shelley told the court in the Bahamian capital of Nassau on Tuesday that Daniel Smith was a "brilliant" young man who was "living in a shell" due to his mother's fame.

He adds, "He wanted to break free. He loved his mother but didn't want to be known as her son."

Shelley, who has already testified that Anna Nicole kept her drugs in a duffel bag, said Daniel Smith could not have been a drug addict because he was "afraid of his own shadow" and "couldn't even hold his liquor."

Meanwhile, Dr. Lee Hern, the lab director for the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office, told the court that a large dose of methadone taken by Daniel Smith was the primary factor behind his death.

Almost 30 witnesses have so far testified at the inquest before a seven-member jury, which will formally determine what killed Daniel Smith and has the power to recommend criminal charges if it finds evidence of wrongdoing.

Police have said there is no evidence of homicide, and an autopsy found the likely cause of death was a combination of drugs, including methadone and antidepressants.