An inquest has heard witness evidence this morning about the events leading up to the death of a Falmouth man tasered by police.

The 15-day inquest into Marc Cole’s death on May 23, 2017, opened in Truro today.

The first witness called was 34-year-old Charles Black, at whose house Marc had been before he was tasered.

Mr Black spoke to the jury about how his friend had been acting in a delusional way that day.

The pair had been watching television at Mr Black’s house and Marc had taken cocaine, he said.

Marc then began acting “uneasy", and when another friend, Daniel Waters, came to visit, he reached for a knife and said “I know what you two have been doing,” according to Mr Black.

He then grabbed Daniel and Mr Black shouted to his mother telling her to get out of the house.

Mr Black then heard a “thump” and saw that Marc was in the garden, having left the house through a first floor window.

He said that his friend looked “very unwell” and “really really scared.”

Marc’s brother Daniel Cole pulled up in his van and tried to get him to get into the vehicle, but he did not.

Mr Black then heard sirens and a voice shouting “drop the knife”.

He says that he heard taser being discharged twice and then saw Marc being carried off in a stretcher.

He was later pronounced dead at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske.

Mr Black spoke about how Marc had been suffering greatly at the time after the loss of his father, and that the two friends had been to visit his grave almost every day.

He added that he was a “loyal” friend and “a good laugh".

He said: “It’s something that I have been trying to forget for the last couple of years.”

The inquest to determine the cause of Marc Cole’s death is due to last 15 days.

A long list of witnesses will be called including medical experts and family members.

The inquest continues.