A family’s quest for answers continues after a coroner adjourned the inquest into the sudden death of a much-loved Maidstone man.

Carlo Collins, 46, was found unconscious by a lodger at his house in Middlesex Road early on the morning of March 11. Attempts to resuscitate him failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man and a woman were arrested in connection with his death but were released without charge after police concluded there was no evidence of third-party involvement.

A pathologist concluded the father had vomited and choked to death after taking antidepressants, painkillers and other medications which inhibit breathing. He also had subendocardial fibrosis – a heart disorder.

But during an emotional hearing at Archbishop’s Palace, his family said they were told by friends that the former St Simon Stock pupil had suffered a number of unexplained fits or seizures.

Giving evidence, acting detective inspector Dan Rance said a police search found prescription medicines belonging to Mr Collins, the lodger and a friend called Lucy Parker throughout the house. They found legal highs in a bedroom and evidence of drug use in the lounge.

The lodger told officers he believed Mr Collins could have used his medicine and the night before had appeared “drunk” despite not drinking any alcohol.

The court also heard unemployed Mr Collins was depressed about the recent death of his sister Angela from cancer and the loss of his parents.

However, there was no note and Carlo’s twin Robert Collins said he was adamant his brother had not been suicidal.

His family expressed misgivings over evidence from Mr Rance about two emergency calls to the ambulance service from the lodger’s mobile.

Initially the first caller was identified as female, but the lodger told police he had made both calls and his voice can go higher pitched when panicked.

Robert Collins repeatedly alleged Mrs Parker had been at the address when his brother died.

Senior coroner Patricia Harding adjourned the inquest for more medical evidence, and said: “There is no evidence of him intending to harm himself by taking the medicine and there is no evidence from which I can determine it had been forced on him.”

She instructed police to provide a recording of the two calls to the ambulance service, but said they would likely be irrelevant to the inquest’s outcome.