The family of a much-loved young dad died of a cocaine overdose say he 'brought the sunshine with him wherever he went.'
Father-of-three Joshua Ruscoe, 28, from Stockport, was found not breathing at a house in Reddish after taking the drug with friends, an inquest into his death was told.
He was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.
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His brother, Dale Ruscoe, said his death had come as a 'devastating shock' to his family and that they now wanted to know 'what transpired and why' to get closure.
Following the hearing, Dale, speaking on behalf of his family, paid a heartwarming tribute to his brother.
"Joshua was a doting father, loving partner, hard-working, motivated, driven, caring, and considerate with a huge heart," he said.
"He was a cheeky charming character who brought the sunshine with him wherever he went with a smile that could brighten up anybody's day.
"He was equipped with a warm embrace that made you feel loved.
"He was spontaneous funny approachable and friendly, every moment with him was full of laughter and love.
"As a son and a brother we could not have asked for more. He will be dearly missed."
Mental health deteriorated in 2020, inquest hears
In the months leading up to his death in June last year, Joshua had been struggling with severe mental health problems, the hearing heard.
Giving evidence at the hearing, Dale said his brother, Joshua, who worked in telecommunications, was "always a very positive, confident, cheeky, happy-go-lucky guy."
"He was a good lad who had good values and good morals," he said.
However, the inquest heard there was a change in his mental health and wellbeing which deteriorated over a period of six months from the Autumn of 2020.
In April 2021, he was hospitalised and detained under the mental health act with a psychotic illness.
He spent a month as an inpatient, first at Stepping Hill hospital and then at Park House, at North Manchester General Hospital, for treatment.
Despite concerns from his psychiatrist that he required further inpatient treatment, he was not sectioned again once the initial 28-day order expired.
Dr Swanand Patwardhan said during his stay in hospital, Joshua disclosed he had used cannabis and cocaine but was not willing to discuss it any further.
Dr Patwardhan says Joshua was offered access to drug services but that patients could not be compelled to engage with them.
He said he believed Joshua's illness pre-dated his drug use.
"In my opinion, the illness came first and the drugs made it worse," Dr Patwardhan said.
He added that "sometimes people take drugs to try and alleviate symptoms."
The inquest was told that the day before he died, Mr Ruscoe had been with two friends.
Giving evidence, Thomas Johnson, said he met Joshua in late afternoon on Woodhall Crescent in Reddish where Mr Ruscoe pulled up in a car with a woman, another friend called Amy Collins.
He says he got in and the three of them travelled first Fog Lane Park in Burnage, and then to Macclesfield for a drive.
He says whilst there Mr Ruscoe took some cocaine and that on the way back he began taking 'a lot more..'
"It was just constant, there were 'bags all over the show', he said, adding he recalled seeing around six bags during the return journey.
After returning from Macclesfield they went to Ms Collins' house in Reddish, Mr Johnson said.
At this point, Mr Johnson, who said he was not aware of Mr Ruscoe's mental health problems or that he had recently been in hospital, said he 'completely changed' and began acting in a way he had never seen before.
He was 'running around outside' for around two hours 'as if he was seeing things or hearing voices' in what he believed was a 'reaction to the cocaine.'
Mr Ruscoe eventually came back inside and Ms Collins took him upstairs, Mr Johnson said.
However, he later heard her screaming and said she ran back downstairs and dialled 999.
The ambulance service were called to the property on Sykes Street at 5:40am in the early hours of June 16, the inquest was told.
A paramedic on arrival was told that Mr Ruscoe had been put in the bath in an attempt to cool him down and that he had suffered a seizure.
He was in cardiac arrest when he was taken to the Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) where life-saving efforts continued. However, he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
A post-mortem found died as a result of the "toxic effects of cocaine."
The report from Professor Roger Hunt said the blood concentration of the drug in his system was "very high" and "well within the range encountered in fatalities attributed to cocaine use."
Ms Collins was not present at the hearing at South Manchester Coroner's Court in Stockport on Friday (February 18).
Area Coroner Chris Morris said the account given in her statement was "at odds with some of the other evidence I have heard."
"I have not heard anything to suggest he (Mr Ruscoe) did anything other than take of his own volition, cocaine, albeit whilst unwell with a psychiatric illness," he said.
However, he halted the inquest and adjourned the hearing so that further efforts to bring Ms Collins to court to give evidence could be made.
The inquest was adjourned until May.
