THE mother of a Prince's Trust charity worker from Stroud who died after taking ecstasy has told a court of the "additional anguish" caused by his four friends who lied to police about where they had got the drugs.

Nick Bonnie, 30, suffered a "significant" cardiac arrest and died in hospital after he was earlier found collapsed in the courtyard of a Manchester nightclub last September.

The employee of the Prince of Wales's youth charity had travelled from his home in Stroud, Gloucestershire, for the weekend with his friends, James Churchill, 31, Paul Tabb, 31, Dean Neale, 30, and Simon Lloyd-Jones, 29.

Churchill bought Ecstasy and cocaine for the journey but all four men later concocted a false story in a taxi on their way to see Mr Bonnie in hospital in which all agreed they would say the drugs had been acquired from a dealer at the Warehouse Project dance event.

Their deceit was uncovered weeks later when detectives examined Mr Bonnie's mobile telephone and discovered plans to acquire the banned drugs on WhatsApp messages between the friends, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

However, the four men had their prison sentences suspended and were given 250 hours of unpaid work for perverting the course of justice and drug charges.

A post-mortem examination showed Mr Bonnie died as a result of "excessive consumption" of ecstasy.

Speaking at Manchester Minshull Street Court on Monday, his mum Pauline Bonnie read out an impact statement on behalf of herself, her husband Andy, their sons Ryan and Thomas, and Mr Bonnie’s girlfriend Leah.

Mrs Bonnie spoke of the loss of "a beloved son, partner and brother".

She said: " I am the mother of Nicholas Bonnie and I have prepared this statement on behalf of myself, my husband Andy, our two sons Thomas and Ryan and Nick’s partner Leah.

"In the early hours of Saturday September 28, we were told our beloved son, brother and partner had died. Since that day a part of us has died. Our lives will never be the same.

"A reliable work colleague and loyal friend, he was always there in times of need. This all became much more apparent to us after his death.

"We received so many cards and letters sharing all the stories of their memories with him.

"Over 1,000 people attended his funeral from all over the UK and as far as America, Asia and Australia.

"Every day is still a reminder that he is gone. Andy and I have struggled to return to work and I have reduced my hours. All of us receive weekly grief counselling.

"We all feel cheated in not being able to see and celebrate Nick marry Leah and have children.

"His bright future at the Prince’s Trust he will never have. We now have to bear long days and short nights with memories taking over our minds, preventing sleep.

"We just don’t want to start each day without him.

"We are still waiting for some element of peace.

"There is still such sadness among his friends as they struggle to deal with the shock and the grief of his death."