A heartbroken wife found out about the death of her "loveable rogue" husband over social media. James Potter, a barber from Exeter, was tragically found dead at a flat in Exmouth on January 8, 2023. The 36-year-old is thought to have died during his sleep, an inquest on Thursday heard.
James' widow Hayley told the hearing how their relationship was "very much up and down" due to him having a cocaine habit, but that after their wedding their life had become more settled. He had recently started renting a barber shop in Torquay, she said, which she thought would be good for him.
He had also been awaiting treatment for sleep apnoea, a debilitating condition which causes irregular breathing during sleep. Hayley told the inquest that the day before his death, James had left their home following an argument over his drinking the night before.
She was told James had been at his mum's, but heartbreakingly discovered he had been found dead on social media, Devon Live reports. "I do miss James very much," Hayley said. "He was a loveable rogue and I am currently taking it a day at a time.". A post-mortem examination confirmed he had taken large amounts of cocaine and a prescription drug that can cause sedation among other effects before his death. The medical cause of his death was polydrug toxicity.
The inquest, held at Exeter Coroners Court on Thursday, heard a police investigation confirmed that James had been picked up from Torquay at around 3am and was driven to Exmouth by a man he had only met that day and was taken back to his flat in Exmouth. He was said to have told him he had 'taken a lot of drugs'.
