Henry Warnock, 24, from Alderley Edge, was found dead in his halls of residence at university, an inquest heard.

Henry, a former pupil at The Ryleys who was studying professional audio and sound recording at the University of Salford, was discovered by a caretaker after his family became concerned that they hadn’t heard from him for a couple of days.

An inquest at Bolton Coroners Court on Thursday, September 4, heard that a post mortem examination couldn’t find a cause for the musician’s death in April.

There was no evidence that the serious brain injuries suffered in the road smash in Chelford in June 2011 had contributed. And it couldn’t be proved that Henry had suffered Sudden Death Syndrome, which is usually caused by a heart condition and particularly in young men.

Coroner Mr Walsh told Bolton Coroner’s Court: “It appears he may have simply gone to sleep.

“I’m satisfied it is likely Henry died from a naturally occurring disease but it is not possible to identify the disease.”

Henry fought for his life after the accident in Chelford and he was not expected to survive. He was treated in hospital for seven months and suffered difficulties with his arm and fingers, which restricted his guitar playing. He also lost his sense of smell.

But he worked hard to overcome his health problems.

Henry started at the University of Salford in September last year and was a DJ at the Student’s Union. He returned home at weekends to stay with his parents Dawn and David and sisters Sophie, 23, and Tabby, 20.

His family discussed going to the university when they sent texts and tried to phone but got no response. A caretaker sent by the halls’ manager to check on him found him in bed in his room.

Mr Walsh recorded a narrative verdict that Henry died ‘as a consequence of a naturally occurring disease but it can’t be identified even on a balance of probabilities.’

He said: “He was a young man who suffered a lot but he got back to education which would have taken great strength. It would appear his life was back on track.

“For this to happen is devastating.”

Henry was a pupil at The Ryleys until he was 13 when he went to boarding school to complete his GCSEs. The passionate musician loved playing the electric guitar, moving to the acoustic guitar after his accident. He played DJ gigs locally in venues including the Bubble Room in Alderley Edge, as well as events around Manchester.

Speaking after the inquest, his mother Dawn, 52, said: “He was a very accomplished guitar player and had a very exact ear for music. He loved DJing and enjoyed different genres, from Simon and Garfunkel, to Pink Floyd and Daft Punk.”

Dawn said her son loved being at home with the family.

She said: “He was very much a homebird, we are a very close family and this was cemented by Henry’s accident.

“He was in a critical condition and we spent many hours by his bedside at Salford Royal hospital. He had many scares.

“But Henry was a very strong person and came through it.

“He had an ability to overcome anything.

“He was a 6ft6 larger than life character who lit a room up. Henry was likeable, he wasn’t interested in status, he was interested in people’s lives and stories.

“He embraced life and everybody he met and would have liked to be remembered as a unique, upbeat guy with a wonderful sense of humour.”

Speaking about the verdict of the inquest, Dawn said: “The verdict doesn’t bring him back. We are just numb. We will just have to live on with the memories we have of Henry, many happy memories of him with a smile on his face.”