A MAN found dead in a wooded area during freezing conditions in January had a habit of sleeping rough after a night out, an inquest heard.

The body of Jason Smith, 39, of Netton Close, Bishopstone, was found under a hedge in the area off New Bridge Road at about 1.30pm on January 14.

At an inquest held in Salisbury on Thursday, his sister Jennifer Delaney said she had been out drinking with him that afternoon and had last seen him at about 9pm in the Horse and Groom pub in Wilton Road.

She said he had drunk about five or six pints, and ‘disappeared’, so she left to try to find him before giving up and going to a friend’s house to shelter from the cold.

DC David Topp, from Salisbury Police, said: “Jason had become drunk and had been found either asleep in a bush or sleeping rough in Salisbury and the surrounding area on four occasions.”

A post mortem examination stated Mr Smith died of hypothermia, and a toxicology report showed he had 80mcg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, plus 185mcg in his urine, which suggested he had been drinking for some time.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Smith’s sister and brother, Adrian Sharples, warned people to know their limits. “That is what he never knew,” said Mr Sharples.

Verdict: Accidental death.