Peter Gray, 43, described by his sister as 'free spirit' was found by a garage mechanic just yards from his home in Pelham Road, Seaford, on June 2.

Mr Gray, a father of an eight-year-old son, had cut the back of his head and died in hospital from a bleed to the brain.

An inquest in Eastbourne on Tuesday heard Mr Gray had an old injury after suffering a fit and falling from a dust cart in January which may have contributed to his death.

He was taking medication for his condition but had not been officially diagnosed with epilepsy.

Krishnan Soni, who works at Kemps Garages, Seaford, said: 'I could see a male on the floor, I first thought he was drunk, due to this I initially thought I did not want to get out my car.

'I saw him breathing and shaking his whole body, I thought he might have been having a heart attack.

'I called for an ambulance.'

Mr Soni was joined by a trainee nurse and PCSO Andrew Jackson from Seaford Police Station who tried to help Mr Gray.

Coroner Alan Craze heard Mr Gray had become increasingly dependent on alcohol and had experimented with drugs.

His family said he had been suffering fits, often when he had stopped drinking.

His sister Amanda Crumpler, from Chessington, said: 'He had always been a character, a bit of a dreamer, he could tell a good story. He was popular, a bit of a free spirit.

'I don't think he was as happy as he had been. He used to like a drink when he was growing up, I never thought it was a problem for him but about four years ago he started drinking to excess and alcohol became a problem.

'About five or six years ago he had an epileptic fit, when I spoke to him about it he associated it with taking drugs at a festival.

'He had a fit and fell off the back of a lorry at work one day.

'We think he did go to hospital but discharged himself.

'We know of three more fits since then, one was at my house in Chessington, he had been drinking heavily, when he stopped drinking he had a fit.'

She added: 'I asked him once "what would you do if you won the lottery?", he said "I would be dead by the end of the day".

'He meant through drinking alcohol.'
Coroner Alan Craze recorded an open verdict because he said no one had seen Mr Gray fall.

He said: 'I cannot, from the point of view of the law on the balance of probabilities say yes this was an accident or this was an epileptic fit.'