'Love Island' Mike Thalassitis left notes to his family inquest hears

Love Island star Mike Thalassitis was found hanging in a park with a notebook containing letters to his family at the scene.

North London Coroner's Court concluded on Wednesday his cause of death was suicide.

Senior coroner Andrew Walker said: “There were a number of notes left behind and messages in which Mr Thalassitis clearly set out his intention that his life should come to an end.”

Read more: Love Island: ITV to offer enhanced psychological support to contestants

The inquest heard that toxicology results showed there was cocaine, alcohol and paracetamol in his system at the time of his death.

Mr Walker added: “The blood and urine concentrations are consistent with alcohol intoxication.”

The 26-year-old reality star and former footballer - who appeared in the ITV2 reality show in 2017 - was found by a jogger hanging in a park in Edmonton, north London, on 16 March.

A police officer who attended the scene said a black notebook had been found near where Mr Thalassitis died.

Giving evidence Pc Emma Clauson said: “I looked through the notebook which was a sort of combination of a diary and letters and positive thoughts.

“At the back of the diary was a number of notes that had been addressed to his family.”

Thalassitis' family paid tribute to their "wonderful son and brother" outside the court following the hearing.

Reading a statement on their behalf, Dave Read, his manager and agent, said: "We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind messages and support during this very difficult time.

"Today's inquest concluded the sad news at the loss of our beautiful son and brother.

"Mike was a wonderful son and brother and will be dearly missed."

Former Love Island contestant Montana Brown also attended the inquest.

Speaking to reporters after the inquest, Brown said it was “important to let his memory live on and to also remember the importance of why this happened and to change your own life on what terrible, terrible, terrible thing has happened to Mike”.

Read more: Love Island star Sophie Gradon took her own life, inquest confirms

Last year an inquest into the death of 32-year-old Sophie Gradon, a contestant on the 2016 series of the show, found she took cocaine and alcohol before killing herself.

Producers paid tribute to Thalassitis at the end of the opening episode of the new series, which aired on Monday night.

Beneath a photo, a message on screen read: “In loving memory of Mike Thalassitis 1993-2019”

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