A young man has died from the toxic effects of cocaine just a day after he got out of prison.
Brandon Boothroyd, 23, from Manchester, was found dead in the corridor of the hostel he was staying in last August, an inquest heard.
His heartbroken family said the young man was "looking forward to his future", reports the Manchester Evening News.
Brandon had been taken to the probation service-approved premises after being released from HMP Hindley in Wigan.
An inquest into his death at Manchester Coroners' Court heard he died from the toxic effects of cocaine.
In an emotional tribute, his dad Anthony Boothroyd said that despite his troubles, Brandon was a loving son and that his death had left his entire family 'broken'.
"He was a great lad. He had a heart of gold," he said.
"He idolised his mum and his nana was his world.
"He was cheeky, but loveable. He could drive you insane sometimes but that was him.
"There was no one like him. He was unique."
On the impact his death has had, Anthony said: "It's just devastating. We're broken.
"He was a positive person and was feeling really positive. He was looking forward to the future.
"He was always like that. I'm just gutted as he was so full of life.
"I just think he was doomed that day. So many things went against him.
"Life won't be the same without him."
Brandon, who suffered from ADHD as a child and attended a special school, previously worked as a labourer on building sites, the inquest heard.
He began using drugs as a teenager.
Senior coroner Nigel Meadows said there was evidence Brandon's use of cocaine increased to a 'high level' and that he had started to experience mental health issues as a result.
He had served 'a number of custodial sentences' during his young life, the hearing was told.
No details of the circumstances of those were given at the hearing, other than that he was released from his last spell in custody on Tuesday, August 10 last year.
Following his release, he was taken to the hostel on Stanley Street in Cheetham Hill where he had been allocated a room.
It was an approved premises – a 'halfway house' – used to house people, usually those on licence, who have been released from custody.
Brandon, from Middleton in Greater Manchester, was shown around and given the key to his flat, the inquest heard. There was evidence he was in an 'agitated state'.
In the early hours, Demi Skillen - who was visiting a man also living in the block - said Brandon started banging on the door at around 3am, saying he had lost his key.
She said Brandon had a drink with them and that he snorted some cocaine from his hand.
Ms Skillen said they offered Brandon the sofa to sleep on, but that he eventually went back into the corridor and began acting 'very strangely', lying on the floor and giggling.
She said she and her friend could still hear him making noises until around 6.30am and that when it went quiet, they assumed he had fallen asleep.
A maintenance man raised the alarm after finding Brandon unresponsive at around 9.30am. He was pronounced dead following the arrival of paramedics.
A post-mortem concluded Brandon died of cocaine toxicity. It was said the level of the drug was consistent with him being alive for a 'period of time' after ingesting it.
A police investigation found there were no suspicious circumstances.
Mr Meadows concluded it was a drug-related death.
He said it was not his relevant to his inquiry the reasons why Brandon went to prison and how he was treated when he was there.
"Clearly at some point after about 6.30am in the morning until 9.30am when he was found, Brandon has died," he said.
"It is not possible to say exactly when.
"It's clear he was very very fond of his family and very loving towards him. And I've no doubt they were very supportive of him.
"Unfortunately he had been released from custody only a matter of hours before he ingested cocaine and that was sufficient to cause his death.
"People can take cocaine once, die from it having never taken it before and people can take it having taken it before, and still die from it."
