AN EX-CON with a chequered past died after he hanged himself from a children's slide, a court heard.

Austin Blacker was found dead in the Recreation Ground in Chipping Norton on June 20 after he downed a cocktail of drink and drugs and took his own life.

At an inquest yesterday at Oxford Coroners' Court, Coroner Darren Salter said he was satisfied Mr Blacker had intended to kill himself.

The 26-year-old, who was born in Oxford, had been convicted of a string of offences in Oxfordshire's courts.

In a statement read out in court his best friend Joseph Hammond said Mr Blacker had visited him at about 2.30am on the day of his death.

He said Mr Blacker, whose registered address was in Tywyn in Gwynedd, Wales, 'did not seem himself' and that his speech was erratic.

Mr Hammond said: "I thought he was maybe in trouble.

"I asked him what the matter was and he said 'I can't tell you, I will tell you tomorrow'.

"I thought he had got himself in trouble as he had in the past.

"I did not think he would hurt himself."

Mr Blacker had been in trouble with police a number of times and had spent time in prison.

In October 2010 he was jailed after drunkenly robbing a post office in Steeple Aston, near Bicester, and in 2013 he admitted possessing ketamine and cathinone derivative – a class B drug –near Banbury.

In March 2010 he also admitted possessing class B drug ketamine near Banbury.

The inquest heard he had both ketamine and cocaine in his system on the night he died, as well as Diazepam.

Toxicology reports also found he had 148mg of alcohol per litre of blood.

Mr Blacker, an industrial roofing supervisor, was found three hours later at 5.30am by a woman walking her dog at the Recreation Ground in New Street.

Police officer Sgt Philip Hammond attended the scene and found Mr Blacker hanging from the slide with an empty bottle of Jack Daniel's and an empty bottle of wine nearby, along with a black canvas bag full of personal belongings.

There were also a number of notes written by Mr Blacker.

Mr Salter said: "The notes said 'sorry' and things of that nature and appear to indicate a possible intent on his part to take his own life."

But the coroner added they did not specifically state that Mr Blacker wanted to kill himself.

Mr Blacker's adoptive mother Sandra Blacker said she couldn't understand why her son would want to kill himself, after he took steps to put his past behind him.

After the inquest, she told the Oxford Mail: "Recently he had turned his life around. He got a job as an industrial roofer and was really enjoying it.

"He also had a girlfriend who he was so happy with and they were planning a future together so it was more than a shock.

"I only spoke to him on the Saturday and he sounded so happy. He had not been in trouble for quite a while, it doesn’t make sense at all."

A statement from Mr Blacker's GP Dr Felicity Lewis said she had only seen him once, earlier this year, when he spoke to her about treatment for acne.

Mr Salter said: "There is no history of suicide attempts or self harm that I am aware of.

"Putting it all together I am satisfied, particularly with the notes that were left, that Austin intended to take his own life."

Mr Salter recorded a verdict of suicide by hanging.