A TROUBLED fisherman who was found dead in a hotel room has been described as a doting father with a “heart of gold”.

Jamie Bray had been staying at the Wardley Hotel in Hove before he died.

The 31-year-old “doted” on his children and was the father of a 12-week-old baby.

An inquest into his death opened at Brighton Coroner’s Court at Woodvale Crematorium this week.

It was suspected that he died of a heroin overdose after a pathologist found marks on his arm and the drug in his system.

But there was no sign of any drugs or the things used for taking them in his room.

His mother Angie Bray rejects that her son would have taken heroin, and wants answers as to why he was housed at the hotel in Somerhill Avenue.

Assistant coroner Catharine Palmer was told that Mr Bray did have mental health difficulties.

She asked for reports from the Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, Adur and Worthing District Council and the police following Mr Bray’s death in July.

In the inquest, Mrs Bray said her son was “way over medicated”, and also called for West Sussex County Council’s adult services to be called.

She told the coroner a psychiatrist’s report had said her son should never have been placed in the Wardley Hotel.

“I have had to fight the system so hard,” she said.

There was a social services care order in place, and she was assured by the authority that her son would be found new accommodation.

But the day he was ready to leave on Friday, July 19 Mr Bray and Mrs Bray were told he would not be moved until Monday.

Mr Bray was found dead the next day, on July 20.

Coroner’s officer Claire Rogers said: “He was found in his room in his bed, fully dressed, laying on his back with his feet over the edge of the bed.

“His belongings were ready to move out.

“No illegal drugs or paraphernalia were found, there was a red mark inside his elbow.”

Outside court, Mrs Bray said: “My son was full of life and had an amazing sense of humour, he had an absolute heart of gold.

“He was very protective of his family, but we had ten years of this. I know he would not touch that stuff (heroin).

“My son was trying so hard to get sorted, he was trying to make a future with his son.”

Mr Bray had recently started a gas engineering course at college, and Mrs Bray said he was a doting father for his baby.

Following his death, she launched a fundraising page to pay for his funeral which raised nearly £1,300.

One friend said: “Jamie was one of my best friends in the place that he and I lived.

“I can truly say he was an amazing young man.

“He would help anyone whenever they needed it and would always put a smile on your face even though he was struggling.”

His full inquest will resume on January 16 next year.