‘Kind and gentle’ Uckfield construction worker found dead

Christopher Batley was found in his ground floor flat in The Drive on July 8.

An inquest at Eastbourne Town Hall on Thursday (February 11), heard Mr Batley, who had a history of heart attacks and drug use, was found by police after his sister became concerned due to failing to hear from him for nearly five weeks.

Mr Batley’s sister, Clare Batley, said the pair had a ‘close, trusting and supportive relationship’ ever since their parents had died and described him as ‘hard-working, reliable, kind and gentle’.

The inquest heard Mr Batley had been furloughed and was classed as ‘extremely vulnerable’ by the government because he suffered from asthma so was shielding due to Covid restrictions.

A post-mortem concluded that Mr Batley’s death was due to myocardial fibrosis – scarring of the heart – and cocaine use.

East Sussex coroner Alan Craze ruled that Mr Batley’s death was drug-related.

Mr Craze said, “Heart problems arose, on the balance of probabilities, because of his use of cocaine.”