Chichester man killed by heroin overdose in Worthing

A Chichester man was killed by a heroin overdose in Worthing last year, an inquest has heard.
Brett Vickers was found dead in Cissbury Road in Worthing. Picture: Google StreetviewBrett Vickers was found dead in Cissbury Road in Worthing. Picture: Google Streetview
Brett Vickers was found dead in Cissbury Road in Worthing. Picture: Google Streetview

Brett Vickers - who suffered with paranoid schizophrenia – was found dead following a two day drug binge in Cissbury Road in Worthing.

He lived in Otter Close in Chichester and was 46 years old when he died.

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Coroner’s officer Neil Harrison told the inquest at Centenary House in Crawley that Mr Vickers had a history of drug use and heavy drinking.

He said: “Brett and his girlfriend visited his brother Wayne with a mutual friend.

“The four of them started drinking and taking cocaine.”

The inquest heard the drug-taking continued into a second day, and then Mr Vickers and another man began taking heroin.

The following morning Mr Vickers was found unresponsive in bed, and his death was confirmed by paramedics at 11.25am on August 25, the inquest heard.

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A post-mortem examination confirmed that he had died from a heroin overdose.

The inquest heard that no charges for drug supply have been made.

Assistant coroner Karen Harrold said: “After carefully considering all the statements and evidence and in particular after reading the post-mortem report I am satisfied that on the balance of probabilities Brett Vickers was a regular user of illicit drugs and died after an overdose of heroin after also consuming cocaine.”

She recorded a conclusion of a drug related death and expressed her condolences to his family and friends.