The sister of a man found dead in public toilets after a suspected heroin overdose wants to tell his story as a warning to other addicts.

Dionne Potter has taken the brave decision to talk about 34-year-old Ashley Taylor’s death in an effort to try to deter others from taking the drug.

Mr Taylor was found dead on June 6 by a cleaner at the toilets in Sappers Walk, Gillingham. Despite efforts to save his life, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Taylor had been trying to wean himself off the drug and had been through the rehabilitation process and was taking a heroin substitute, Subutex.

Mum of three Miss Potter, of Pluckley Close, Twydall, said: “My brother was a good person, he was a good brother to me and my sister Siobhan and a good uncle to my three children, he loved all of us.

“I don’t just want him to be another statistic, another heroin addict who has died" - Dionne Potter

“I don’t just want him to be another statistic, another heroin addict who has died.

“I want people to know there is a way out and it’s not just in a body bag.”

Mr Taylor previously successfully completed an inhouse six-month detox rehabilitation programme and had worked hard to get his life back on track.

He had accessed the services available to him when he came back to Medway and had weaned himself down to just 4ml of Subutex a day.

Miss Potter added: “He had taken up all the services on offer to him here and used to go to the chemist to get his Subutex.

“He must have forgotten it was a Saturday and the chemist is only open for half a day as he couldn’t get his prescription.

“He made the decision to go and score some heroin - this is what killed him we think.

“We do not know if it was a bad batch or just too strong for him to take, but it stopped his heart within minutes we believe.”

Miss Potter and her partner, Christopher Iden are still waiting for the coroner’s report to confirm his cause of death but he was found with two syringes of heroin by his side.

Mr Iden added: “He was a great brother-in-law, I couldn’t have asked for better. Yes he had problems with the drugs over the years, but he never brought it to our house.

Miss Potter, 23, added: “My world came crashing down when I got the call from the police to say he was dead.

“We were on holiday and had to cut it short so we could come back and deal with everything.

“We went up to the toilet where he was found and we laid some flowers.

“In a way I am glad he died there and not in some filthy drughouse somewhere as at least he wasn’t robbed after he’d passed away.

“He had told me before that’s what happens when an addict takes too much stuff and dies around other drug addicts.”

She added: “I want others to read what’s happened to Ashley and get themselves out of that sort of world.

“Ashley thought he was invincible and would never die, but look what’s happened to him.”

The date and time of Mr Taylor’s funeral service has not yet been finalised.

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