Extracts from the diary of a former catwalk model from Bury St Edmunds expressing his hopes for the future have been read out at his inquest.
Finley Clark, a former model who had appeared in Vogue magazine and walked the catwalk in Milan and Paris, died at his home last November, aged 23.
Mr Clark’s struggles with alcohol and drugs, including the fact that he had purchased £270 of assorted drugs the day previous to his death, have been documented at the hearing at Suffolk Coroners' Court. The drugs included ketamine, cocaine and methadone.
On Thursday, excerpts from Mr Clark’s notebook were read before the jury.
On September 29, 2023, he wrote: “Life is moving so fast lately. So many wonderful things have happened so quickly”.
He wrote that he was hoping his contract working at the charity Barnardo’s would be made permanent, and that he would be moving to Bury St Edmunds to live with his girlfriend, Olivia Tindall, on October 11.
Days later, he wrote about a self-harm incident, when he had made cuts to his thighs which required stitches.
“I’m not actually sure why I did any of that,” he wrote.
Mr Clark also wrote about his relationship with Miss Tindall, writing: “[She] is still madly in love with me and I with her.”
Mr Clark also wrote about his hopes for the future; that he was trying to read more and cut down on screen time, that he wanted to one day buy his own property, and ideas for initiatives in Bury St Edmunds, such as a litter pick which he named ‘Keep Bury Beautiful’.
At around 7.30am on November 13, Miss Tindall found Mr Clark on the sofa of their living room. Emergency services were called, but he was pronounced deceased.
A toxicology report showed “therapeutic levels” of mirtazapine, tramadol, pregabalin and alprazolam in his system, as well as levels of cocaine consistent with recreational use.
A pathologist gave a cause of death as multi-drug toxicity. She explained in her report that, although the drugs were within therapeutic amounts, these drugs can have fatal consequences when taken in combination.
The jury will now deliberate.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here