A young Kent County Council worker probably died after taking heroin for the first time at his Maidstone home, an inquest heard.

James Sutton's drug-taking got out of control after he was prescribed anti-depression drugs, a coroner was told.

The 27-year-old information management officer, who was found dead at his flat in McKenzie Court, become depressed after struggling to deal with his homosexuality.

His mother Jennefer Sutton said: "He had mental health problems caused by the fact that he was gay."

She said he had suffered a degree of schoolboy bullying over his homosexuality and, although he later made other gay friends at KCC, continued to suffer bouts of depression.

She said: "He was pretty miserable at times. He loved children, but knew that he would never have his own."

However, she said he had never talked of taking his own life and had been looking forward to a family barbecue planned for the following weekend.

Ms Sutton told the inquest she was aware her son, a former Oakwood Park Grammar pupil, had smoked cannabis.

He had also been prescribed anti-depressants and sleeping tablets by his doctor and had added to these by buying large quantities of prescription drugs over the internet.

A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Sutton had a single puncture mark in his arm and had died from a combination of morphine and alcohol poisoning.

DS Jason Booth said Mr Sutton had spent the evening before his death on August 23 at his flat in the company of a homeless addict he met the week before.

The pair had been drinking vodka and taking various prescription drugs before going out to Week Street to buy three packets of heroin.

A call to a drug dealer was recorded on Mr Sutton's phone and shortly after he had withdrawn cash from an ATM.

DS Booth said although there were drugs and paraphernalia in the flat, there was no evidence Mr Sutton had taken heroin before.

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He suggested it might have been the first time he had tried it.

Assistant coroner Gail Elliman recorded a verdict of accidental death.

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