A dad-of-two who battled with addiction for most of his adult life died at a friend's home after taking a cocktail of drugs, an inquest heard.
Stephen John Radatsz, 37, was found unresponsive by his friends at a house in Broad O' Th' Lane, Bolton, on the evening of March 31.
Despite the attempts of paramedics, he was later pronounced dead at Royal Bolton Hospital.
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During a documentary inquest into Stephen's death at Bolton Coroners Court, area coroner Alan Walsh read statements from various witnesses.
One of the statements was by Stephen's dad - also called Stephen.
Mr Radatsz said that Stephen started to experiment with drugs in his 'early teens' and was quite young when he became a father to his son, before later having a daughter as well.
He described Stephen's relationship with his children was 'good' and 'loving' and said that he tried to stay in touch before it 'became too difficult due to his lifestyle'.
Mr Radatsz confirmed that Stephen engaged with drug and alcohol services and went away to residential detox centres but that in the end 'his addictions beat him'.
"When he wasn't under the influence of drink or drugs, the old Stephen was still there," he said.
"He was a gentle character and very sensitive with other people.
"He had lots of skills and could mend or make anything he put his mind to but his life was ruined by drugs and alcohol.
"He tried to make changes because he was always feeling anxious and guilty about his lifestyle.
"He tried to beat his addictions but in the end they beat him."
Ann Turner, Stephen's care coordinator at recovery service Achieve said that he first used amphetamines when he was 12 or 13 and was addicted to heroin by 15-years-old.
Stephen, who also drank between four and eight cans of lager per day, told Achieve that he had taken two intentional overdoses in the past, before an accidental overdose of diazepam in November 2020.
Ms Turner said that in December, Stephen told Achieve that he had not taken heroin or crack for eight months and had also asked to reduce his methadone dosage.
On March 31 2021, Stephen's friends said that throughout the day, he took heroin and crack, before three of them headed to a house belonging to John Diggle, in Broad O' Th' Lane, at tea time.
Stephen was left in the living room for around an hour while his friends were in different rooms and he was eventually found 'slumped' at around 10pm.
A friend rang an ambulance and he was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital while in cardiac arrest.
After 90 minutes trying to resuscitate him, medical staff pronounced him dead.
Police also attended at Mr Diggle's home but following an investigation, there were found to be no suspicious circumstances or third party involvement in Stephen's death.
Following a post mortem, a pathologist recorded 'cocaine, heroin, and methadone intoxication' as the cause of Stephen's death.
Reaching a conclusion of drug-related death, Prof Walsh told the court: "This is another death relating to drug addiction and another life that was ruined by that drug addiction.
"It always saddens me when a man who is clearly gentle, sensitive and capable then dies because of a long-standing addiction to drugs."
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