Sophie Gradon’s boyfriend Aaron Armstrong took his own life, an inquest has found.
The 25-year-old died on 10 July 2018, 20 days after Sophie was found dead at her parents’ home in Northumberland.
An inquest in North Shields, North Tyneside has found that Armstrong died by suicide, with hanging cited as his cause of death.
Coroner Eric Armstrong found that Armstrong had alcohol and cocaine in his system when he died, saying the effects of the substances had prevented him from thinking rationally.
Aaron’s mother Donna discovered him in his bedroom at their family home in Blyth, Northumberland.
The inquest heard that Aaron and his brother Ryan had found Sophie’s body a month earlier.
Aaron died just days after his girlfriend – who he had been dating for five weeks – was laid to rest.
The day before he took his own life, Aaron wrote on Instagram: ‘I just wish I could cuddle you all day miss you so much man Sophie not a minute goes by with out your gorgeous smile being a picture in my mind everyday we spent together was so amazing I need them days back 😢💔 I love you princess.’
Last July, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: ‘At around 12.20pm on July 10 police received a report from the ambulance service that a 25-year-old man had been found deceased at a property on Furnace Road in Bebside, Blyth.
‘There is not believed to be any third party involvement and a report will now be prepared for the coroner.’
This comes after an inquest into Sophie’s death was halted after her family received ‘new information’.
The reality star’s parents Colin and Deborah have disputed reports that the 32-year-old died by suicide, telling the Mail: ‘There is nothing to support the suggestion that Sophie committed suicide.
‘We are still working through things to find out exactly what happened that night but it would be wrong to talk about that now as we do not want to prejudice the inquest when it does go ahead.’
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MORE: Sophie Gradon’s parents ‘insist she did not die by suicide’ as inquest is delayed