An inquest into the death of a 17-year-old girl following a night in an Airbnb flat has heard that she died after taking a cocktail of alcohol, heroin and cocaine.

Sophie Read from Worthing was discovered by the emergency services in the flat in St Aubyns, Hove, on February 25, 2020. She had been living in Brighton at the time.

On March 16, Reis Forde gave evidence to Brighton and Hove Assistant Coroner Karen Henderson via a video link.

Forde, of Worthing, told the coroner that he had booked the Airbnb because he “wanted to chill”.

The Argus:

Detective Sergeant Jemma Paterson of Sussex Police told the court a photograph of Forde and Sophie, taken in the Airbnb property at 22.27 on February 24, 2020, had later been discovered on her phone.

“It had been put through some kind of filter as there were lovehearts on Sophie’s cheeks,” DS Paterson told the court on March 16.

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The court heard that Forde, who described himself as a “friend’ of Sophie’s and said the teenager lived “a troubled life”, told the police he awoke in the flat in the early hours of February 25 and noticed she was sleeping in “a strange position”. When he later returned to the room Sophie was sleeping in several hours later, he noticed her “lips had started to turn blue”.

The Argus:

He told the coroner he then performed CPR on the teenager.

“I couldn’t tell you for how long,” he said. “I was just in shock at what happened.”

The court also heard that Forde made several calls on his mobile in the morning of February 25, including several to Sinead Doyle of Worthing, the first at 08.07am. The court previously heard that the emergency services were contacted 30 minutes after the first call to Doyle.

Ford was challenged by a solicitor representing the family as to why he did not call the ambulance earlier.

Sophie’s mother, Natalie Reeve, had to leave the inquest several times after listening to the evidence.

The inquest has also heard that Forde was arrested on February 25 for supplying Class A drugs in connection with the death. Forde and Doyle were later arrested for perverting the course of justice on July 24. No charges were brought due to a lack of evidence.

Addressing Forde directly, the coroner said: “Is it not likely that Sophie obtained the heroin and cocaine on February 24 from a supply that you had in your possession?”

To which Forde replied: “I had no drugs with me.”

The inquest, which is being held at Sussex Cricket Ground, continues.