in the prime of his life.

But the 30-year-old Hamilton Parish man was also messed up by drugs, a coroner's inquest was told yesterday.

"Mr. Furbert quite clearly is another victim of the drug scourge which afflicts Bermuda,'' Coroner the Wor. John Judge said as he closed the inquest.

"Perhaps those who first introduced Mr. Furbert to illegal drugs and supplied them would reflect on their own involvement in his death.'' On the morning of February 9, Furbert was found dead behind his residence on Radnor Road. He was hanging by a rope from the tee-shaped post that supported the clothesline, the inquest was told.

Large amounts of alcohol, as well as cocaine, were found in his system.

Furbert left at least two suicide notes, but they were not read in court.

P.c. Frank Dublin of Bermuda Police, the investigating officer, said Furbert was deeply depressed just before his death. One reason was that he was unemployed and could not find a job.

He described Furbert as healthy, popular, and considerate. He had several long-term friends and a girlfriend. "But against the backdrop of being a normal, healthy person, he had a substance abuse problem,'' P.c. Dublin said.

Next-door neighbour Dwayne Whitter told the inquest he grew up with Furbert and considered him his best friend.

"We always considered ourselves as brothers,'' Whitter said. "He never hid anything from me.'' Furbert only drank alcohol occasionally, but "he used drugs often,'' Whitter said. "I advised him against using drugs.'' And Furbert told Whitter not to get messed up by drugs like he was.

Whitter last saw Furbert at about 10.30 p.m. on February 8, when he looked "perfectly healthy.'' At about midnight that night, he was sure he heard his neighbour walking out to his yard, but did not get up to look.

The next morning at 7.30 a.m., a neighbour came and told Whitter that Furbert was hanging in his backyard. "I could not believe it,'' he said. "I was afraid to look at him, although I knew it was true.'' Furbert placed one of his suicide notes inside Whitter's mailbox.

Eighty-year-old Charles Brown of Radnor Road told the inquest he knew Furbert since he first came to Bermuda from England at age five. "He always called me pop,'' Brown said of Furbert. "Lionel respected me a lot, and I respected him.'' Furbert came to his house the night of February 8 and stayed until about midnight, Brown said. "We played cards together and did not have an argument.'' Just before he left, Furbert asked for "a hit,'' and they each drank one black and coke, he said. "He then left the house in good health and good spirits.'' The next morning, Brown followed an ambulance up the road to find Furbert dead.

A neighbour and off-duty Police officer, P.c. Christopher Jones, found Furbert hanging at about 7.20 a.m. on February 9.

Furbert's father, Lionel Beresford Furbert, and other relatives attended the inquest at Magistrates' Court.

Mr. Judge's finding was death by suicide.