A ‘KIND, patient, gentle, and loving’ father from Cornwall has died after having more than eight times the lethal level of cocaine in his system, an inquest has heard.

At an inquest into the death of 39-year-old Nicky Fray, the court heard about the ‘lovely man’ for whom his children were his greatest achievement.

Born in Essex, Nicky was described by his mother Anne, as a ‘quiet, gentle child’ who was popular among his peers. At the age of 11, he relocated to Helston, where he studied construction at school.

However, his mother expressed that it may have been his gentle nature which led him to the use of recreational drugs.

In Cornwall, Nicky had two children, which the court heard meant a great deal to him.

However, on June 10, 2026, Nicky was collected by a member of his family from the roadside near Breage. After being taken to a relative’s home, Nicky had a seizure and cardiac arrest, with paramedics unable to resuscitate him. Nicky was pronounced deceased at 3.20pm.

Following his death, a toxicology report found that Nicky had around 7,663ng of cocaine in his system, more than eight times the lethal level.

Dr Kate Rice-Davies recorded the cause of death as 1a: Acute cocaine toxicity.

After hearing the evidence, assistant coroner, Mr Stephen Covell recorded the verdict of drug related death, offering his condolences to the family.