Nathan Pierre was meant to be seeing his daughter River-Lee the day before he died.
When his girlfriend, Jeneta Smoliakova, did not hear from him and he did not return her phone calls she knew something was wrong.
The inquest at the Brighton Coroner's Court heard it was “out of character” for the 24-year-old because he cherished his time with his daughter.
Smoliakova went to his plat in Brighton on June 29 where she peered through the letterbox and saw his feet lying on the floor.
She raised the alarm to his mother Angela, who forced entry into the flat.
Pierre was found with his feet “wrapped around the bag” on the kitchen floor, Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley said.
He was last known to be alive at about 6pm on June 28 before he tripped on the bag and died shortly after, it was said.
His mum told the court how she knew he had not been home for long before he died.
She said: “I went in and saw his feet had his outside shoes on.
“He wore shorts and T-shirts year around.
“The fact he was fully-clothed just indicated he wasn’t in for long.”
His mum and Smoliakova were seen clutching hands throughout the hearing.
Pierre would have stopped breathing after hitting his head on the fridge and he would “not have felt anything”, the inquest heard.
The coroner said the cause of Pierre’s death is was postural asphyxiation due to the fall and that it was an accident.
She said: "It looks as if he has banged his head and although he has not actually fractured his skull, it is still quite possible to stun him a little bit."
The coroner added: "My money is still on that bag of rubbish because that was right by his feet.
"It seems difficult to trip on something like that and he had nothing to save himself.
"On the balance of probabilities, that seems to me to be exactly what has happened to him."
Pathologists carried out extensive tests and even thought he could have taken the party drug GHB, but no cause of death could be originally determined.
Mrs Hamilton-Deeley said: "I am quite satisfied that drugs did not play a part in this death, on the balance of probabilities."
She added the testing was so extensive because no one could believe it was an accidental trip and fall.
Smoliakova said in a heart-breaking Facebook post shortly after the inquest that she was heartbroken to lose her soulmate and her daughter’s father.
She added: “You brought so much joy to my life, we had the most beautiful daughter together we shared so many unforgettable memories that I will cherish for rest of my life.
"Honestly I was so lucky to have you in my life! Me and your family Will never be the same without you Nathan.
"Fly high my beautiful angel. I will love you with all my heart forever and always. RIP.
Pierre’s father Kieron Ferguson said after the inquest that his son was a “much-loved young man”.
Verdict: Accidental death.
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