A barber died after going on a two-day cocaine and alcohol binge before climbing over a fence into a north-east Army barracks and collapsing, an inquest heard.
Thomas Hunt had an “excess” amount of the class A drug and alcohol in his system when his body was found inside the perimeter of the base.
Earlier, the 28-year-old had become “agitated” at a get-together with friends while high on cocaine and “ran away”, it was heard.
Soon after, a van driver spotted Mr Hunt running on a road near Kinloss Barracks in Moray and asked him if he was okay, only for him to run and jump the fence into the site.
Hunt had started new life in Moray
The talented hairdresser’s body was found within Kinloss Barracks the following morning on March 7.
His inquest at West Sussex Coroner’s Court in Chichester heard Mr Hunt, originally from the county, previously struggled with drug problems.
It appeared he had “started a new life” and turned things around by moving to Moray, opening a hairdressers, and making new friends.
However, on March 5, a Friday, he skipped meetings, started taking cocaine and continued to do so the next day.
The inquest heard that on the Saturday evening, he asked a friend to confiscate his cocaine – but quickly changed his mind and took it back.
His father Matthew Hunt believes his son “did not want to die but took more cocaine than his body could handle”.
Coroner Alicia Keen said: “He was actually making a good life for himself but still struggled with the need to take drugs.
“It seems certain he was taking cocaine throughout the day on Saturday and continued in the night.
“He had the capacity to show that further drugs were not good for him and gave it away but then asked for it back.”
The inquest concluded the death was drug related.