A LOVING father with a “heart of gold” died while in emergency accommodation.

Jamie Bray was found dead in his room at the Wardley Hotel in Somerhill Avenue in Hove on Saturday, July 20, last year.

The 31-year-old, who suffered with poor mental health, had packed his belongings and was due to present his case to Brighton and Hove City Council on Monday, July 22, to move into alternative emergency accommodation.

An inquest at Brighton Coroner’s Court into his death heard Jamie had died from heroin toxicity, but there was no evidence of any illicit drugs in his room.

A toxicology report found breakdown products of heroin in Jamie’s blood, and Amber Crampton, a clinical scientist at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, said heroin can suppress the part of the brain which controls breathing.

She said: “Someone might use it and drift off to sleep, and in their sleep they would stop breathing and are unconscious and unaware of that. It’s never safe to take and assume you will be OK.”

Jamie, who had a diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder, had spoken to his social worker Lorna Russell on July 18 about moving out of the Wardley Hotel, and the court heard he wanted to get away from other residents.

Ms Russell said: “Jamie spoke about some things going on at the Wardley which he had concerns about and I think he was scared he would get into trouble again.

“There was an incident where another resident became violent and Jamie said he had helped a staff member by trying to calm him down.”

Ms Russell said the adult social care panel at Brighton and Hove City Council had agreed for Jamie to be moved on Friday, July 19, but his meeting with the council could not take place until the Monday.

Detective Sergeant Mark Pinder told assistant coroner Catharine Palmer that CCTV footage showed Jamie leaving the hotel on July 19 with another resident.

The coroner recorded a conclusion of misadventure.

She said: “I think Jamie was a naive user of heroin.

“It seems like he obtained heroin in the ten minutes he left the hotel, and it’s likely that he used it on return, possibly in someone else’s room.

“Accommodation was always a major concern for him and we heard from his social worker, who did try to distance Jamie from people who were causing him problems.

“She did move swiftly on July 18 to get him out of Wardley Hotel, but due to circumstances beyond her control she could not get Jamie moved that day, which is regrettable.

“I think it’s fair to say no-one could have foreseen what would happen to Jamie that weekend. It was so out of character.”

Jamie’s partner Charlotte Bennett said: “Jamie was a good dad to our son and he loved his family. He wanted to have a better future.

“We feel he was desperately let down by various services.

“It’s people like Jamie who are falling through the cracks.”