A scaffolder who took his own life after drinking 15 cans of energy drinks a day should have been sent for a mental health assessment, a coroner said.

An inquest into the death of Justin Bartholomew, 25, heard he suffered from anxiety after his marriage failed.

His father Keiron said his son’s inquest would be the first of many linked to energy drinks. He said: “He was drinking 15 cans a day when he worked with me.

“We all know what energy drinks can do to you. He was high as a kite. He suffered depression, they enhanced that.

“Energy drinks are dangerous, they’re a legal drug.

“Kids are bouncing off the walls.”

Devastated Keiron blamed his son’s death on his dependence on the energy drinks and asked why it was not part of the inquest.

He said: “I tried to wean him off the energy drinks.

“The back of his van was like a tip with empty cans.

“This will be the first case of many in courts around this country where people take their lives as a result of energy drink consumption. Why after three or four attempts at suicide was he allowed to walk?

“He’s the one who was bouncing off the walls for three months, drinking energy drinks.

“How many times do you have to attempt suicide to be taken in?”

The scaffolder from Peacehaven was found hanged from a tree at a golf course on August 1 last year. His marriage had failed and the inquest heard he was devastated by the end of his relationship.

The inquest at Eastbourne Town Hall heard he had tried to take his own life twice before going to a spot near the 15th hole he had researched online. He had attempted to take his own life by overdosing on pills in October 2016 and two days before his suicide at Seaford Golf Club.

He phoned a mental health crisis team to tell them he was about to hang himself.

Police found his body after searching woods with his mother Simone.

Justin had also threatened to drink ammonia before finally going to the woods to hang himself.

Mental health professionals assessed him as being a medium suicide risk days before he took his life, despite him complaining of experiencing overwhelming panic attacks and telling them he thought there was no way out.

A psychiatrist who saw him on the morning of the day he killed himself said he was at very high risk of suicide. The decision was taken not to detain him under the Mental Health Act and arrangements were made for another meeting the following day.

A serious incident review concluded there was no way medical professionals could have kept Justin safe.

East Sussex Coroner Alan Craze said: “I’m staggered. There was ample evidence.”

He described him as a man in complete crisis who needed to be protected, adding: “At the end of the day, it comes down to clinical decision making.”

In his conclusion, Mr Craze said: “Although his risk of suicide was considered medium or high he was not sent for mental health assessment. The fact that I include this is I believe it to be an important fact in considering the circumstances of his death.

Sadly, the conclusion of the inquest will have to be that Justin took his own life.”

Following his son’s death, Mr Bartholomew called for energy drinks to carry a health warning.