Eastbourne man is found dead in his home

Forensic officers flooded the property in Langney Road after the body of Craig Allistone was discovered there – but an inquest on Tuesday (July 2) revealed he had died of a drugs overdose.

Mr Allistone’s landlord Maria Leondiou said in a statement, “He had a really good heart and was kind to everyone in the house and my family.”

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His flatmate Lee Colvin said he got on really well with him, and they would often do Bruce Forsyth impressions together.

But on Tuesday, January 1, he went to check on his friend and found him lying dead in his bedroom covered in blood, the inquest heard.

The incident was initially treated as suspicious by police and scene of crime teams investigated the scene.

However DS Todd Stewart, who was called to the stand, said investigations concluded there was no third party involvement.

Mr Allistone had a long history of health problems connected to his alcohol and drug dependency, the inquest heard.

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A report from his GP, Dr Sorooshian of Bolton Road surgery, said he had alcohol-related Hepatitis C, liver disease, and various other ailments.

A window cleaner by trade, Mr Allistone was being treated by STAR drug and alcohol misuse service for his alcohol and illicit drug use and had been prescribed methadone for opiate addiction, as well as amitriptyline.

Toxicology samples found a mix drugs in his system. This included small traces of morphine, indicating historic heroin use, traces of cocaine, significant levels of methadone – a heroin substitute prescribed by doctors – and high levels of amitriptyline, an antidepressant.

Toxicologist Amber Crampton found Mr Allistone had taken more than seven times the upper limit of therapeutic use of amitriptyline, which she said was consistent with the possibility of fatal toxicity.

Coroner Alan Craze called it a “significant overdose of two drugs”. The cause of death was found to be fatal multiple drug toxicity.

Mr Craze said he did not believe Mr Allistone had chosen to take his own life.

He said, “A regular addict is not going to take the substances he requires to get through the day to bring his life to an end. The quantities [of drugs in his system] would be far higher than they were.”

He concluded Mr Allistone died due to a dependence on drugs.

•For advice and information about drug misuse, visit www.talktofrank.com or to learn more about STAR, visit www.changegrowlive.org