A SO-called ‘legal high’ was found in the body of a driver who died in a crash in Magor last year, an inquest heard.

Robert William Freeman died in a crash on the A4810, near the Tesco Distribution Centre, in the early hours of November 29, 2016.

An inquest heard on Thursday that 4-methoxyphencyclidine was found in his body during the post mortem examination.

Assistant coroner for Gwent Wendy James said: “The presence of this substance affected his ability to drive his motorbike safely and led to a momentary lapse of concentration.”

Ms James recorded a conclusion of death by misadventure because this lapse of concentration led to an “unforeseen” loss of control of his motorbike when approaching the roundabout by the Tesco Distribution Centre.

“He was ejected off his motorbike and his body probably collided with a sign.

“As a result of the accident, he received a series of injuries,” she said.

“Police did not find any evidence of excessive speed or defects to his motorbike.”

The cause of death was registered as multiple internal injuries, brain injury and complex skull injury.

Giving evidence to the inquest, Sergeant Robert Whiterall, of Gwent Police’s forensic collision investigation unit, said that he attended the crash shortly after it was reported to the police at 1.55am.

“The most likely cause of the collision is that he failed to assess the layout of the road in approach to the roundabout,” he said.

The Sergeant told the hearing Mr Freeman, from Bristol, drove straight onto the roundabout, losing control of the motorbike and falling off it.

Mr Freeman’s mother, Jackie Buckley, told the South Wales Argus: “He was so careful, what happened was very out of character.”

She said that Mr Freeman – a black belt in martial art Bushido - was a “lovely, caring, magical soul” and that they miss him dearly.

“When he was a boy, he found it difficult to smile,” she added.

“He turned his life around and in recent pictures you always see him smiling. His friends knew him as ‘smiley Rob’.”