A homeless man died from carbon monoxide poisoning while sleeping next to a vent outside a church to try and keep warm.

Father-of-two Danut Fotache was found in the car park of St John’s Church in Amherst Road, Tunbridge Wells, on the morning of January 22.

The 37-year-old was discovered by church manager Philip Jones just after 9am, who found the car wash worker “in the foetal position”.

Police and paramedics were called who performed CPR on Mr Fotache before he was rushed to Pembury hospital where he died at around 11.30am in the trauma unit.

His cause of death was given as carbon monoxide poisoning, with a hospital report showing the former warehouse worker had 10 times the upper limit a human should have.

Coroner Roger Hatch read a report from Detective Sergeant Adam Ferguson who said Mr Fotache was likely sleeping by the vents as it was minus-degree temperature that night and he was trying to warm up.

He had been in the country and “on and off” homeless since 2015, while his family, including his mother and two daughters, remained in Romania.

The court heard how Mr Fotache had a string of mental health problems, including a “conspiracy-based ideology” where he was conviced the Covid-19 jab had injected metal into him in an attempt to control him and 5G was damaging his health.

A report from his GP in the town revealed he last visited six months ago but was “delusional and aggressive” and began shouting at staff, telling them the vaccine was “controlling him” and “made him get an erection every time he touched metal”.

He was also diagnosed with delusional disorder.

DS Ferguson’s report also explained how in the days before his death the father had posted a picture outside Pembury hospital saying goodbye his daughters Stefania and Maria.

However, the officer doesn’t think this, or any other mental health problems, played into his death.

He told the court: “I think it is highly unlikely this was suicide, but instead a cardiac arrest caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

“The deceased fell asleep next to the vents to stay warm in minus-degree weather.”

In his conclusion, Roger Hatch said Mr Fotache “certainly had mental health issues”, before ruling his death a case of misadventure.

No family were present at the hearing.