A SPICE addict died after collapsing at home when his heart stopped.

Kevin Fitton was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, but doctors could not save him.

The 42-year-old had previously suffered a “devastating” stroke which had left him needing help from Brighton and Hove City Council’s adult social services team.

He lived in a state of “chronic chaos” and was addled by his addictions to drugs.

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

It was revealed that he was a victim of “cuckooing” by drug dealers who used his flat in Buckingham Road, Brighton.

Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley was told that several authorities and charities had tried to help Mr Fitton, but found him to be reluctant and often difficult to work with.

He lacked the capacity to make choices about his money and lifestyle, and was subject to a safeguarding order.

Mr Fitton owned the flat in Brighton, but police and council enforcement were called to take action to stop the roving rough sleepers and drug dealers from using the property.

It was revealed that he had previously been moved out and given council accommodation in Eastbourne when he was the victim of an attack.

Coroner’s officer Darren Moffatt said Mr Fitton was originally from Rochdale, and was unemployed at the time of his death on July 13 this year.

He said: “Mr Fitton was found by a flatmate at 7am who heard weird sounds coming from his room.

“When he checked he found Mr Fitton unresponsive and he was twitching at the mouth.”

Ambulance crews arrived and took him to hospital.

But after one hour and 15 minutes, a decision was made to stop efforts to revive him with CPR treatment.

Pathologist Dr David Wright gave a provisional cause of death as a cardiac arrest, with a heart attack and use of synthetic cannabinoids, known as Spice.

The city council’s senior solicitor Simon Court told the hearing that Mr Fitton was a drug dealer who enjoyed the high life with holidays to Ibiza before his stroke in 2010.

He continued to use drugs such as crack cocaine and Spice in the years after the “life-changing” injury, the inquest heard.

Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley asked agencies for reports to help her understand Mr Fitton’s health in the final year of his life.

She said: “I think he has been well and truly cuckooed.

“There is a person living in his flat who is refusing to move out.

“I want to get a picture of all the problems he had.

“I’m trying to bring order to what sounds like chronic chaos.

“He is clearly someone who is chaotic and I should imagine very difficult to manage. His brain haemorrhage would have been completely devastating for him.”

The full inquest into his death is now scheduled to continue on January 9 and January 10 next year.