The brother of a man cleared of murder died from a massive overdose of drink and medication drugs.

Gary Batchelor died 10 days before younger brother Kenneth blasted an intruder at his house in an unrelated incident, an inquest at Ashford heard last Thursday .

Gary, 50, was found dead at his home at Godfrey Walk, Ashford, on November 8, 2007.

The shooting happened on November 18 and Kenneth was last month cleared of murderering Matt Clements.

Det Sgt Matt Davidson told the inquest: “I don’t think any link was made. I don’t think there was any connection with Mr Clements’ death.”

Gary Batchelor, 50, had been found dead at his home by two friends, Susie Smith and Stephen Brooker.

Police found no signs of violence or third party involvement and a post mortem examination showed that Mr Batchelor had died of alcohol intoxication and mixed drug poisoning.

Pathologist Dr Michael Heath said that Mr Batchelor had 301 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, close to four times the drink-drive limit.

He had also taken several prescription and over the counter drugs, with significant amounts of ones such as morphine and codeine

Smaller doses of pills such as paracetemol were also found in his system.

Dr Heath said that Gary was found to have “quite significant” coronary artery disease and signs of cirrhosis in the liver, associated with alcohol intake.

DS Davidson said that unemployed Gary Batchelor had broken his leg that March and was out of plaster by the time of his death.

He had been visited by the home care service Weald Careforce until August when he refused any more visits.

But he continued to have daily checks on his welfare from Mr Brooker and Miss Smith.

Mrs Redman recorded a verdict of misuse of drugs and forwarded her condolences to the family.

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GARY Batchelor’s funeral happened two days before his brother shot Matt Clements.

While the two deaths were separate incidents, “Mad” Matt Clements had become fixated that his girlfriend was owed maintenance over children she had with Gary.

He even turned up at the funeral, on November 16, 2007, to demand money from the family.

Kenneth , now 50, told a court he had blasted Mr Clements, 42, in the chest with a shotgun after Mr Clements had tried to break into his home in Chilham.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that Mr Clements had made several threatening telephone calls to Kenneth before turning up at the house in the early hours of November 18.

He climbed a scaffolding and smashed open a window and Kenneth explained the gun accidentally went off after he was knocked backwards.

The jury had been told that Mr Clements was intent on threatening on inflicting violence and Kenneth was terrified.

Mr Clements had been branded in court as the aggressor that night and a “bully.”

Kenneth was cleared of murder by a jury on March 11

Gary Batchelor had designed kitchens for his father Kenneth Sr’s firm, Country Pine in Bethersden, and had six children. He was a keen motorcyclist.

His aunt, Eileen Batley, 82, of Park Farm, told the Kentish Express: “What happened to Gary was such a waste.

“He was the nicest person you could know and he was artistic and talented. He could have made a good architect.

“The family has had more than it can take.”