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A grieving mother has described the moment she found the body of her “lovely” son, who hanged himself after suffering years of depression and drug dependency.

Reise Flanagan, 40, was discovered dead by his mother Carol at his flat in Flitton House, on the Sutton Dwellings estate, off Upper Street, on April 29.

An inquest at St Pancras Coroner’s Court on Wednesday heard that Mr Flanagan was a popular and fun-loving man who enjoyed DJ-ing house and techno and had been caring for his father, who suffers from dementia.

But he struggled with depression and anxiety and had a history of drug and alcohol addiction.

Carol Flanagan told the inquest her son had shown no indication he was going to hurt himself in the weeks leading up to his death.

“I saw him in Islington and he seemed fine. We went for lunch,” she said. “His birthday was coming up and I was trying to get in touch with him. But he did not answer [his phone] on his birthday.”

When she did not hear from her son for another few days Ms Flanagan went to his flat and found the front door unlocked.

“I just went in. I thought he’d gone to get a paper or something,” she told the inquest. “I walked into the bedroom and turned around and there he was in the corner. [A belt around his neck] was attached to a clothing rail.”

Ms Flanagan said her son had been badly affected by a number of bereavements, most notably the loss of his close friend, Sunny Cracknell, 23, who died in his arms after he was stabbed during an argument in Upper Street in 2004.

Stephen Donovan, later jailed for murder, chased Mr Cracknell, 23, and Mr Flanagan, then 28, down Upper Street and slashed the victim’s throat with a bottle. Mr Flanagan was injured in the attack.

His mother said of her son’s death: “I don’t know why he did it. Sometimes it’s in our character. His friend died in his arms and he cared for his dad, which was very demanding. Reise was not the sort of person that could cope with all that. And he was in a lot of debt.”

The court heard Mr Flanagan had a history of cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy use, and had been using methadon. He drank alcohol daily.

He had been prescribed anti-depressants and anxiety-reducing drugs, and had engaged well with drug services, including talking therapies, having completed the second stage of a programme run by the charity Change, Grow, Live (CGL).

The inquest heard that because he was still engaging with the prescribing team no home visits to his flat had been scheduled.

Matthew Rosser, service manager at CGL, who carried out a review of the care Mr Flanagan received, said: “I don’t think there’s anything more we could have done.”

Assistant coroner Jacqueline Devonish ruled that Mr Flanagan’s death was suicide. She said: “I am satisfied he undertook the act with the intention of taking his own life.”

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Flanagan added: “Reise was lovely. He was quite sensitive. He was a DJ and he was just a really fun person. He liked carpentry and he would help me around the house. He could turn his hand to anything.”