Brighton musician had a mixture of alcohol and drugs in system

Adam Scoble, 29, from Brighton, died on January 13 this year at a property in Brighton after drinking with two friends.

Mr Scoble was heard to be asleep and snoring and his friend “sat him up”.

The two left the property but upon returning found the 29-year-old on the floor not breathing but warm to the touch. He also had swelling to his head, the inquest heard.

An ambulance was called which arrived shortly before 7am but they were unable to resuscitate Mr Scoble.

There was "no evidence of drug misuse" at the flat and police found "no drug paraphernalia" upon searching.

The toxicology report found Mr Scoble had a 174mg alcohol blood level which is “consistent with drunkedness”. It also showed benzodiazepines as well as alprazolam, also known as Xanax. Both are known as treatments for anxiety, something Mr Scoble suffered with.

Both drugs “may have exacerbated” the effects of the alcohol, the inquest heard.

The inquest heard that the post-mortem “failed to identify a specific cause of death” and said a seizure was “less likely”.

Mr Scoble - who had a “difficult and challenging adult life” – suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being kidnapped by three men in January 2020.

The three men were all jailed for a combined total of more than 17 years but Mr Scoble was left feeling “vulnerable to attack” and at “imminent risk” – the inquest heard.

The trio were jailed at Hove Crown Court for the kidnap of Adam Scoble

Mr Scoble also suffered with anxiety and depression. He could not get therapy for his PTSD due to an ongoing court case as of March last year, the inquest heard. He had “thought about dying but never made plans”.

He struggled with substance abuse but was said to have gone on a detox programme in summer 2021, seeking professional help himself.

A family member said Mr Scoble felt “let down” after not receiving professional support for an unsupervised withdrawal which he went through at home with his mother supporting him.

The inquest concluded that Mr Scoble’s cause of death was a sudden unexpected death with a “combination of factors” including the use alcohol and some non-prescribed drugs.

The coroner Dr Karen Henderson concluded there was not a deliberate attempt to end his life and added that it was “clear that despite challenges he faced, he was very loved by his family”.

A fundraiser for a memorial bench was set up in Mr Scoble's name soon after his death. It raised more than £1,700.