Bruce Pinto-Jaco during his time at Cyberdog in Camden Town

THE mother of a dancer found dead in a park near Mornington Crescent told a coroner’s inquest she has been left with a broken heart.

St Pancras Coroner’s Court heard on Monday that Bruce Pinto-Jaco, 43, was discovered in Harrington Square Gardens in August.

The New Journal reported on the tributes paid to him last summer as he was fondly remembered for his time as a dancer at the famous Cyberdog shop in Camden Market.

SEE ALSO TRIBUTES TO CYBERDOG DANCER FOUND DEAD IN PARK

He had spent periods sleeping rough, the hearing was told, but at the time of his death was living in supported mental health accommodation in Brixton.

Melissa Lee, assistant Coroner for Inner North London, told the court: “In July 2025 Mr Jaco’s father died and despite the difficult relationship, his mother reports that he took this very badly.”

She said he had been known to substance abuse services and the cause of death was ruled as combined heroin and alcohol toxicity.

He had been born in South Africa and during the inquest, a statement was read from Mr Pinto-Jaco’s mother, Natalie Ann George in which she said: “I have a broken heart.

The statement added: “Bruce was a very spiritual child, he was so different. I called him my indigo child because he was so very different, with the patience and manners of a saint.

“When he left South Africa to join my sister in Newcastle for a new life he displayed no psychiatric history which required medical intervention. He then moved to London for opportunities in ballroom and latin dance in which he was qualified.

“Bruce’s father passed away due to heart failure. Bruce took the news very badly and became very depressed thereafter.”

Mr Pinto-Jaco moved to Cape Town when he was 16 and then came to London in his early 20s.

St Pancras Coroner’s Court

He devoted his life to his Christian faith and dancing.

In 2015, he worked at Cyberdog, dancing on the podium on weekends.

At the time of his death, the New Journal spoke to his former dance partner Lolly Brown who said: “He was really into his dancing. He put his heart and soul into it. He was really fit. We had a real laugh dancing together as friends.”

The court heard that shortly before 7am on August 12 Mr Pinto-Jaco was found in Harrington Square Gardens by a Veolia employee who was emptying the bins.

Ms Lee told the court that paramedics attended the scene and confirmed that Mr Pinto-Jaco had died and that it was clear he had been dead for some time.