A MOTHER has paid tribute to her son who died after taking a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol.

Talented chef Kingsley Heath, 27, from Lewes, had been struggling with depression and was an alcoholic.

He went missing before being found dead in a Premier Inn.

At an inquest at Eastbourne coroner’s court his mother said she was sad he would not see his three children grow up.

Caroline Lipscombe said: “I learned everything about being a mum from him.

“He will not see his children grow up, will miss their every milestone and will not know the joy of being a granddad.

“I love him and always will, and I am proud to call him my son.”

The inquest heard Mr Heath, of Meridian Road, Lewes, relapsed into alcoholism in the month of his death, after previously becoming dry following a long battle with drink.

Dr Elizabeth Lamb, one of the GPs who saw Mr Heath at School Hill Medical Practice in Lewes, said: “He expressed to me his frustration at finding a meaningful occupation as a chef out of an alcoholic environment.

“But his need to provide for his family led to him working in a restaurant in Brighton where alcohol was part of the scene, and I imagine it made his cravings worse.”

His life became even more turbulent when he was arrested for allegedly assaulting one of his children on March 16.

His on and off girlfriend Grace North, who he was living with at the time, described the day before his death. She said: “He was drinking heavily, and in a mood and depressed.

“He had left to go to work but then returned in a taxi at 5.30pm asking for medication.

“His mum said he was very upset so I hid the medication and locked him in the house.

“He broke out the back door after finding the medication and ran away. I never saw him again.”

Miss North then reported him missing to the police.

His family tried to find him, ringing the Premier Inn Newhaven to ask if he was staying there on the morning of the day he died but they were told because of data protection they could not give them any information.

He was found by police the following morning dead on his hotel bed surrounded by empty blister packs.

An open can of cider, a photo of a woman and two children and an air powered ball bearing gun were also found in the room.

Inspector Paul Sellings said he was made aware that Mr Heath had been sending suicidal messages to his brother, and did not treat his death as suspicious.

But his mother said despite her son having suicidal thoughts and self harming before, he had promised her he would never do it.

She added: “We talked about suicide and he said he would not do it.

“His step-granddad and close friend killed themselves.

“He was heartbroken and knew the devastating effect it would have.”

The court also heard Mr Heath accidentally overdosed before, on sleeping pills Temazepam, in 2015.

Coroner Alan Craze said it could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt Mr Heath intended suicide and ruled the death as an accident.