Stephen Lovell died at Arlington House

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A MAN died a drugs-connected death on his first day back in a hostel after two months getting clean, a coroner’s inquest has heard.

Stephen Lovell had returned to Arlington House in Camden Town after an eight-week rehabilitation at his sister’s home in Dartmouth Park.

The inquest at St Pancras Court on Friday heard how the 47-year-old, who lived in Camden all his life, had died from “cardio-respiratory failure” and a chronic swelling to the brain caused by taking a small amount of cocaine.

His vital organs were all in good shape and the levels of drugs in his blood stream were not close to “being excessive”.

But pathologist Dr Deidre McKenna warned even small amount of class A drugs could trigger a fatal sequence for an addict using again after a period of “abstinence”.

She said: “If an individual has a period of abstinence then even a smaller amount can have a greater affect. If he had not been using for quite a while, it would have had greater effects on the respiratory and cardiac system.”

Dr McKenna added: “People of good health are being admitted to emergency departments with acute cardio-respiratory vascular failure because of cocaine consumption.”

The inquest heard that Mr Lovell – a former pupil of St Michael’s and St Richard of Chichester schools – had returned to the hostel in Arlington Road because of his belief that he needed to check back or he would lose his place there.

CCTV footage showed him leaving his room briefly, before returning, and he was found dead the following morning by staff.

Arlington House

The court heard he had hated his life in Arlington House, run by Riverside Housing, and that his jaw had been broken by a member of staff who was fired after the violent assault and compensation was paid out to him.

But Arlington manager Sheila Johnson told the hearing that he had got a decent level of support there, adding: “He was aware of the support available to him. Prior to his death, he had stated he was feeling good and did not require any additional support for his mental health.”

She added: “No illegal substances were found in his room. I had not seen any evidence that he had taken substances from someone in Arlington when he returned the previous day.”

SEE ALSO FAMILY’S CALL FOR ACTION ON DRUG CULTURE AFTER BROTHER’S DEATH AT ARLINGTON HOUSE

The Lovell family had before the inquest criticised the drug culture in the hostel arguing that it was impossible for recovering tenants to steer clear of.

Ms Johnson told the court that just two tenants at the hostel had been formally evicted in the past four years for dealing in the hostel.

Assistant Coroner Jonathan Stevens ruled it a death by cardio-respiratory failure caused by cocaine and opioids.

Last month, the family of a man who died in a council-run hostel in Holmes Road, Kentish Town, called for a review of the system works.

Joe Black, 39, died in after consumimng super-strength contaminated heroin but the NHS apologised after it was found he had been placed in unsuitable accommodation for his needs and had not received a proper care plan for his paranoid schizophrenia.