Friends have told how they found their companion had hanged himself while they slept in the same house.

Matthew Jester, 29, was found dead at his friend's home in Finchdale Close, Carterton, on November 4.

An inquest at Oxford Coroner's Court revealed he had a history of depression and had taken Ecstasy and amphetamines shortly before he died.

The coroner was told Mr Jester's former lover Alexis Hamill, of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, had split up with him because she said he was possessive.

Mr Jester, Ms Hamill, Anthony Hopcroft, of Wargrave, Berkshire, and Katherine Lowe, of Carterton, had gone out to a nightclub on November 3.

They returned to Katherine's home at about 3am and stayed the night.

Matthew was left alone downstairs and the friends woke to find him hanged from his own belt on the living room door.

Consultant pathologist Dr Richard Millard said Matthew's body contained 2.03mg of Ecstasy per litre of blood - anything above 0.5mg is potentially lethal. Dr Millard said death was caused by injuries resulting from strangulation, but added that the drugs alone would have killed him.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict that he took his own life.