A “WELL KNOWN” man nicknamed Mad Kev died of hypothermia after he was found lying near the kerb of a road, an inquest heard.

An ambulance and police were called after Kevin Chapman was found in Suffolk Road, Dartford, by an off-duty PCSO at 5.50am on February 16 last year.

A paramedic told the inquest Mr Chapman had refused to go to hospital when they found him.

The inquest heard police took the 49-year-old to his home in Trevithick Drive, Dartford, but on arrival they discovered he had no pulse.

As the next available ambulance was 17 minutes away, they took him to Darent Valley Hospital, arriving at 7.05am, but he was pronounced dead at 7.35am.

At the hospital his body temperature was recorded as 22 degrees, which was well-below the normal temperature of 37 degrees, Dartford Coroner’s Court was told.

The inquest heard he had sustained head injuries through falling over a few days before he died.

A post-mortem examination found a 7cm fracture to his skull and an amount of alcohol in his blood two-and-a-half times the legal driving limit.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Christopher Sutton-Mattocks said: “Mr Chapman was a heavy drinker, well known in the Dartford area, known to local police and ambulance services.

“What we know now is by 6am Mr Chapman was beyond saving.

“His body temperature was taken some time between 7am and 7.30am and found to be 22 degrees.

“That’s well below the temperature for sustainable life and would have been below it for some time before 6am.”

A group called R.I.P MAD KEV has been set up on a social networking website, with more than 1,700 members.

Speaking after the inquest, his brother Alan Chapman said: “I would say 90 per cent of people in Dartford knew him.

“He was well known, he was no trouble, he wouldn’t ask anybody for anything.”

The taxi driver, of Little Dale, Darenth, said his brother had never had a job in his life.

The 50-year-old added: “He was drunk most of the time, that’s the way he wanted to live.

“He was not interested in getting any help.”

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