A MAN was found dead in a public toilet after taking an overdose of drugs, an inquest heard.

Forty-year-old Jeffrey Lee was discovered in the Gateway toilets, Ringwood, by a cleaner on March 17.

The police and ambulance were called, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Winchester Coroner’s Court heard how officers found drug paraphernalia around the Fordingbridge man’s body.

His little white dog Benji was also in the cubicle.

It was also heard that Mr Lee was a long term drug user and had been receiving help from a drug support agency.

Pathologist Dr Eleanor Jaynes told the court that a toxicology report found multiple drugs in Mr Lee’s blood including fatal amounts of methamphetamine and morphine.

Dr Jaynes added that the 40-year-old had a underlying heart problem, which would have also contributed to his death.

“The drugs that we detected lower blood pressure,” she said.

“The lower the blood pressure the less blood is going to the heart. Therefore it could be that the blood supply was compromised.”

She added: “Taking a break from drugs then retaking them, as Jeffrey did in this case, may have a larger effect as taking a break can lower your resistance.”

His mother, Ann Lee, told the court in a statement that Jeffrey had been trying to lessen his use drugs.

“Four weeks before he died he was very happy,” she added.

“He had his little dog Benji and (my husband and I) bought him a caravan.

“He then suddenly became very strange. He was not very coherent.

“I told him I would talk to him when the effects of the drugs he had taken had worn off.

“Jeffrey found it hard as the people who would give him the drugs would text him when they were in the area.

“The last time I saw him was when his brother picked him up for Mother’s Day. His brother had to apologise for his behaviour.

“We do not know why he suddenly went off the rails.

“He was a very loved son, and my husband and I miss him very much.”

Assistant coroner Sarah Whitby recorded a conclusion of a drug related death.