THE family of a man who took a lethal cocktail of drugs and alcohol will never know why he died, an inquest has heard.

Tom Sadler-Smith died in a flat in Colchester when he took heroin and diazepam.

A post mortem examination took place after Mr Sadler-Smith, 26, was found, on July 1, 2012.

Today, an inquest also heard the level of heroin alone in the former Philip Morant School pupil’s body would have been enough to kill him.

Tests also found the roofer, of Rayner Road, in Colchester, had 68mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, which is below the legal drink drive limit.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found a metal spoon and a substance in a wrap, which Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray called “evidence of drug taking”.

Recording an open verdict at the inquest, Mrs Beasley-Murray said she could not be sure the roofer had intended to kill himself or had accidentally taken the fatal cocktail.

She added: “There is not enough evidence for another conclusion.

“Not all the bits of the jigsaw are there and we will never quite know what happened.”

Mr Sadler-Smith’s mum, Marion Sadler-Smith, attended her son’s inquest alone.

She said: “We would like to go forward with our lives in the way he would like, which is to live, love and laugh.

“He was such a very special person and he will never be forgotten.”

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