Basingstoke Observer Newspaper

A Basingstoke man died after drinking a cup of liquid cocaine days before he was due in court.

Bradley Tofts, of South Ham, suffered a massive overdose and was declared dead at Basingstoke hospital on November 11.

North Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley ruled out suggestions of suicide and recorded a verdict of accidental death by misadventure at Alton Magistrates Court on Thursday, January 19.

On behalf of the family, aunt Jacky Ayres, 46, from Kempshott, paid tribute to the youngster.

“He was such a loving, bubbly man,” she said. “He would do anything for anyone. If you were in trouble he would help you out.”

The inquest heard that on November 11, Bradley visited Basingstoke with his uncle Andrew Tofts, of Wincanton, Somerset.

Bradley was under a supervision order following charges of assaulting a police officer and was due to appear before magistrates in Winchester on November 15.

His uncle told the coroner that when at home, Bradley showed him a cup of “disgusting smelling” liquid, before drinking it. It was later found to contain a massive dose of the class A drug.

Shortly after 2pm Bradley started vomiting and fitting. Andrew Tofts called 999, but the 26-year-old suffered a heart attack in the ambulance. Casualty staff battled for 45 minutes to save him, giving him doses of adrenaline before stopping CPR at 3.50pm.

Mum Suzanne and stepfather Gerald Stoneman, who live on the Berg estate, asked the coroner if paramedics would have been able to save their son had they arrived earlier.

Mr Bradley said that the amount of cocaine taken by Bradley, who had been free of drugs for more than a year, and had lost any tolerance to the drug, meant he was brain dead by the time he reached hospital.

The inquest also heard from Dr Paul Warren, a consultant psychiatrist from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.  He told the coroner that he had helped treat Bradley since August 2010 following an earlier overdose.

Dr Warren said that Bradley had been stressed over his upcoming court appearance as well as the threat of losing his home, and had struggled to get over the death of his father Keith Tofts in 2006, and speculated that could of drove him back to drugs.

In recording his verdict, Mr Bradley said: “It is quite clear that Bradley had his problems and faced numerous difficulties in his life and has been deeply affected by his dad’s death.

“You will know how sad I am about these events, saddened for Bradley, and saddened for the family."