A soldier who plunged to his death from a seventh-floor balcony had been pepper sprayed by a bouncer shortly before and told pals he couldn't see, an inquest heard.

Ryan Lovatt, 25, was on a short break with colleagues in Warsaw, Poland, from deployment when the tragedy happened on August 1, 2019.

The soldier, from Glasgow, had been heavily drinking with his colleagues at a cocktail bar shortly before the fatal fall at the hotel in the early hours of the morning.

He was serving with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and had been deployed for diplomatic services with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

An inquest at Oxford Coroners' Court today (June 23), heard a toxicology report showed Ryan had 232mg per 100 milliliters of alcohol in his system, the equivalent of three times over the UK drink-drive limit.

A pal told the inquest Ryan had been pepper-sprayed by a bouncer shortly before he was put to bed and had said he couldn't see.

Forensic pathologist Dr Russell Delaney said: "It's possible the effects of alcohol contributed to how the fall occurred but alcohol made no difference to him surviving those injuries once those injuries were sustained.

"Impaired balance, impaired coordination, and pure judgment are some of the effects at this level of intoxication.

"Overall I am of the opinion that Cpl Ryan Lovett died as a result of chest, abdominal and pelvic injuries.

"There was no positive pathological information to suggest that anyone else was necessarily involved in his death, although with any un-witnessed fall that possibility cannot be entirely excluded."

LCpl Tommy Jackson said in a statement: "I remember it being myself and Ryan left.

"We were back inside the cocktail bar at this point and we were both drunk but were both fully in control of our actions.

"The bouncers asked us to leave and followed us outside. I then saw one of the bouncers speaking to Ryan.

"I then saw the bouncer pepper spray Ryan.

"He immediately put his head in his hands and started walking towards me.

"It got in the eyes, and I helped him into his room as he said he couldn't see.

"So I helped him into his room, and he seemed alright.

"I don't know how much he could see or not.

"He didn't say how he was feeling, he just gave me a hug and we said goodnight to each other."

Ryan plunged from the seventh floor of the City Comfort Hotel in Warsar at around 4.09am on his first night there, the inquest heard as the tragedy was deemed an accident.

A colleague who shared a room with Ryan told how the pepper spray "burnt" the men and blurred their vision, and said he believed Ryan had got into bed and then got up again.

He believed the balcony door may have been left ajar after going for a smoke.

Coroner Darren Salter said he believed disorientation may have played a part in the tragedy and warned of the dangers of alcohol consumption with no sober person keeping an eye on things.

Witness SSgt Gary Horsburgh, Ryan's roommate in Warsaw and who was asleep when Ryan came back, said: "I was in a room with Ryan Lovett.

"I was in the bed closest to the patio doors. It was a normal balcony, with a barrier around the balcony.

"I think I remember leaving the door ajar as we only had one key.

"When I came back as far as I am aware the patio doors were closed at that time, as we closed them when we left the room.

"I may have had a cigarette I can't be 100 percent if I did or not.

"I felt in control until the pepper spray effect messed us up.

"It physically burnt our skin, and at that point, we were struggling.

"I had blurry vision right until I was back in the hotel room.

"It was a powerful spray is the only way I can describe it.

"The beds were made before we went out and when I got taken back the bed was all messed up.

"So yes he obviously got into bed at some point or done something with the bed covers."

The coroner Darren Salter added: "I think reality speaking the danger or likelihood when groups are off base on a trip that one might very well see is alcohol being consumed above the level being put in a policy.

"What's really important therefore someone is giving the responsibility of being sober and keeping an eye on things and keeping everyone together."

The coroner said in a closing statement: "We know that Ryan fell from a balcony in room 734 on the seventh floor of the City Comfort hotel in Warsaw.

"It was chest, abdominal and pelvic injuries, no evidence of injuries of restraint or assault, injuries were in keeping with a fall from height.

"There is no evidence of suspicious or third-party involvement of death.

"This is in an essence a case involving an accidental fall involving intoxication from alcohol, mixed with the effects of pepper spray on Ryan.

"I don't see any evidence of abuse of drugs.

"We heard evidence from colleagues and just how painful and stinging it caused blurry site, that mixing with him being unfamiliar with the balcony with it being his first night there."

A conclusion of accident was recorded.