A Lowestoft man died after mixing alcohol and drugs, with paramedics mistakenly told he had taken heroin.

Jake Aiden-Timothy Palmer died at a friend's flat in London Road South, Lowestoft on September 10, 2021.

Family statements read to an inquest into his death hailed the 36-year-old builder and roofer as an "adorable and mischievous brother" who "always wanted to work and worked hard until the day he died."

The inquest, which took place at Suffolk Coroner's Court on August 10, was due to hear from Alex Davies, whose flat Mr Palmer passed away in.

Mr Davies, however, failed to attend the hearing, with senior coroner Nigel Parsley forced to rely on two written statements he'd made following Mr Palmer's death.

The statement said the pair had known each other for about 18 months after meeting through friends.

It added: "I saw Jake outside my flat about 9pm and he asked to come in for a few drinks.

"Once in my flat he drank two cans of cider and smoked a crack pipe while I used some heroin.

"We had both used the drugs we bought earlier in the day."

Mr Davies added he left the flat to go to a nearby shop and, when he returned, noticed Mr Palmer was "dozing off".

He says he gave Mr Palmer naloxone, an opioid reversal, and went to a neighbour to call an ambulance, before going to get a defibrillator.

Upon their arrival, Mr Davies told paramedics Mr Palmer had taken heroin, although there was no "absolutely no evidence" of the opioid in toxicology report carried out following his death, Mr Parsley said.

The toxicology report also found evidence of pregabalin, cocaine, cocaethylene and morphine, the latter of which was described as being at the "very start" of a fatal level, although it is not known how the morphine got into his system, or what his tolerance to the drug was.

He also had a high blood-alcohol concentration - almost three times the legal drink-drive limit.

Mr Parsley said: "The toxicology shows Jake didn't purposefully overdose on anything.

"When paramedics turned up they did all they could and couldn't have tried any harder for Jake."

He concluded Mr Parsley died an alcohol and drug related death.