A man died after a sex game went wrong.

Stuart Leonard’s body was found slumped underneath a tree in Brighton after a row with his partner.

An inquest was told that the 35-year-old had gone out alone to take part in auto-erotic asphyxiation.

But the act, in which people temporarily hang themselves in order to heighten sexual pleasure, went tragically wrong.

Popular Mr Leonard, well known on Brighton's gay scene, shared a house with his on-off partner of six years Darren Farley in Lennox Street, Brighton, but the pair often argued and Mr Leonard would disappear to the well-known “cruising spot” at Dukes Mound.

Mr Farley described their relationship as 'up and down' and on August 25, Mr Leonard fell out with Mr Farley when he finished his bar shift at the Bulldog in St James's Street early due to sickness.

Mr Farley told an inquest in Brighton: “He was annoyed that I had been given an opportunity to work, but chose to leave early, so Stuart walked out as soon as I finished.”

In what was described by Mr Farley as a “mini strop”, Mr Leonard went to his friend Egan Poole's house in Lancaster Court, Hove, where the pair drank four cans of beer each.

Mr Poole said: “I fell asleep and assumed Stuart would fall asleep on my sofa, but when I woke up at 11pm he had gone.”

Malcom Wadey, of Cambridge Place, Brighton, told the inquest how he had gone for a walk around Dukes Mound early the following morning when he saw Mr Leonard's body in the bushes.

He said: “I looked in the bushes and saw someone with their jacket around their neck.”

In panic Mr Wadey flagged down passing hotel-owner Derek Jermy who called an ambulance.

Mr Jermy said: “There was a young boy kneeling on the ground. He looked very peaceful. He was kneeling, looking forward, there was no sign of strain or distress.”

Paramedics arrived at the spot, off Marine Parade, at around 11am and confirmed Mr Leonard dead at the scene.

A post mortem gave the cause of death as hanging.

Mr Farley said: “He was into auto-asphyxiation, I had seen him do it.

“Where he was found, that's where he would go.

“If we had an argument that's how he would spend the evening.”

Mr Poole also confirmed that Mr Leonard took part in the sex act on a regular basis.

He said: “He has mentioned being into kinky sex before, we have had conversations about it.”

Deputy Coroner for Brighton and Hove John Cooper said: “There is no evidence he wished to take his own life and there is no evidence linking this death with anyone else.

“We are left with the possibility that Stuart may have sought sexual gratification by way of asphyxiation.

“Unfortunately when practising auto asphyxiation on this final occasion it did go tragically wrong.”

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Paying tribute to her brother, Mr Leonard’s sister Kim said: “Stuart was just the most loyal person you could find.”