A SALES advisor who became an internet sensation with a spoof video was found dead in his bed after spending the night with his friends and family.
Daryl Warin became known to many as 'Daz the Tank' after the short clip on Facebook went viral in 2016 and was shared by boxing champion Tony Bellew.
Warm tributes were paid to the on the 23-year-old joker from Billingham after his death a fortnight before Christmas.
An inquest heard today that toxicology tests showed a presence of cannabis in his body as well as two prescribed drugs - a sleeping pill and medication used to treat anxiety and nerve pain.
Teesside Coroner's Court heard how the levels of none of the drugs would be enough to kill by themselves, but the combination is likely to have been lethal.
The night before he died, Mr Warin was said to have been in "fairly good spirits" in the company of friends and his step-father, at whose home he was staying.
Assistant coroner for Teesside, Karin Welsh, said during the course of the evening he had smoked some cannabis, "which was his normal mode of relaxation".
He shared a pizza with his step-father before going to bed, but the following morning could not be raised by friends who went to the bedroom.
Ms Welsh recorded a verdict of a drug-related death, and told Mr Warin's mother, Jane Hughes: "I don't think Daryl intended to do himself any harm.
"There has been nothing with his demeanour that caused any concern, and while pregabalin [the anxiety medication] was higher than a therapeutic dose, it was at the lower end. He has not taken vast amounts.
"It is the fa t of the combination of the drugs that has been the difficulty rather than one particular drug."
In Mr Warin's tongue-in-cheek fight video - described by one fan as "the funniest clip ever" - he repeatedly yells ‘I’m a tank!’
Friends said after his death that it was indicative of a man who could make anybody laugh - and never stopped smiling.
“He was a very bubbly person, who was always happy and had a smile on his face,” said childhood pal Anthony Hatch.“He made his friends laugh a lot and would do anything for you if you needed him to.”
One friend wrote on Facebook: “Lost a true boyo of Billingham. You will live on in our hearts and our memories.”
Another said the former Billingham Campus pupil was “the best of lads”; while one wrote he had “gone too soon”.
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