A man who was found dead after a bad smell led police to his flat had texted his father to say he was "a dead man walking" despite not having any terminal illness.
Brett Sivyer's body was found decomposed in his flat in Maidenhead, Berkshire, after neighbours complained of the stench coming from the home.
A coroner said that as a result of inquiries it appeared Mr Sivyer was suffering from a "form of fatalism" prior to his death and said he was dying. However, he was not suffering from any terminal illness.
The inquest in Reading was told that on June 14 last year, residents at a block of flats in Brockton Court, Maidenhead, called the police complaining that a "strong, very bad smell" was coming from the flat of their neighbour.
Locals said they had not seen Mr Sivyer in "three to four weeks" and reported their concerns that someone may have died in the apartment.
Police arrived at the scene and found Mr Sivyer lying on his back on the bedroom floor, "black, bloated, and with bodily fluids on the floor", the coroner was told.
Officers described the flat as "squalid" and "bare". Neighbours confirmed they had never seen any visitors come to Mr Sivyer's flat.
Assistant Berkshire coroner, Ian Wade, said: "When Brett's death was reported to us, he was young, and it was clear that the cause of death could not be ascertained."
The inquest heard that Mr Sivyer suffered from multiple mental and physical health issues, including manic depression and blood clots and severe addiction to heroin, alcohol and cocaine.
Evidence included a text exchange from May 19, likely days before his passing, where Mr Sivyer told his father: "You want the truth? Your son is dying. I'm a dead man walking."
Mr Sivyer's family, who traveled to to the inquest from Portsmouth, heard that it was unlikely that Mr Sivyer had died from suicide.
Mr Wade said: "He was ill and felt that he was dying. He, in effect, let nature take its course, but did not do anything deliberately to end his life.
"He had a form of fatalism about it. He knew what was going on and he fully cared about his family. However, he did not feel strong enough to keep up the fight."
"He was not ignored or let down," said Mr Wade.
In his conclusion, the coroner said that Mr Sivyet died from a combination of an overdose/excessive drug and alcohol use and chronic health conditions.
