To Buy Or Not To Buy host found by friend with bin liner over head at home in Stratford

DAYTIME TV presenter Kristian Digby died accidentally during a sex game at his Stratford home, an inquest has heard.

The 32-year-old homosexual had already suffocated with a plastic bin liner over his head when a female friend called to check on him, the Walthamstow Court was told.

Mr Digby, the host of BBC television’s To Buy Or Not To Buy, was found dead on March 1 this year at his two-bedroom house in Richford Road.

Coroner Dr Elizabeth Stearns heard a can of ethyl chloride, a pleasure-enhancing compound, was found next to the body.

But pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift said there was no evidence in toxicology tests that he had used the spray or ingested alcohol or drugs.

He gave the cause of death as plastic bag asphyxia.

Mr Digby’s mother, Paula Digby-Dubois, said her son was “really happy” with his upward moving career. “He just loved what he was doing,” though he described himself as “nothing special, just a third rate presenter.”

Following the death police investigated and found no evidence of foul play.

To Det Insp Lee Barnard Dr Stearns asked him: “In essence, as I understand it, he had developed an interest in autoerotic asphyxiation recently. He was highly sensible,, and none of the people (friends) that came forward led you to believe in any way they had been involved in this particularly tragedy.”

“Absolutely,” he replied.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, the coroner said: “There is no evidence to suggest Kristian was acting out a fantasy with any other person present at the time of his death.

“I have to conclude that Kristian died as a result of an intended act, namely placing a plastic bag over his head as part of some sexual experimentation, but did not at any point believe or intend that should leads to his death.”