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An 'outstandingly talented' schoolboy died after taking heroin he bought on the ‘dark web’, an inquest has heard.

Joe Southam, 15, purchased the class A drug from the notorious online black market ‘ Silk Road ’.

He was found unconscious in his bed by his mother in July, 2014, after suffering an overdose.

The teen was airlifted from his family home in Wirksworth, Derbys, but was later pronounced dead.

Joe had taken three GCSEs a year early and was predicted by his teachers to get top grades.

But the inquest was told he secretly spent hundreds of pounds buying drugs on the ‘dark web’.

A teenage friend told Derby Coroner’s Court that Joe chose drugs based on online reviews.

But he revealed that tragic Joe later “graduated” onto strong opiate-based drugs.

The pal, who cannot be named, said in a statement: “We would Google the drug and review the write-up.

“I know he had taken codeine, and he then graduated onto stronger opiate-based drugs.

(Image: Getty)

“These are not drugs you would take socially. I know he'd tried heroin. As far as I am aware, he got all of his drugs from the internet.

“He liked to try different drugs and talk about it. I don't believe he had any intention to take his own life.

“I believe he mixed up his drugs and combined them to fatal effect.”

In one of the final messages to his friend, sent at 1.58am on the day he died, Joe said: “Might pass out in a minute man.”

The inquest was told Joe had choked on his own vomit after overdosing on heroin.

A toxicology report said he had “potentially lethal levels” of the class A drug in his blood.

Joe's mother, Barbara, said he suffered from anxiety and depression connected to an inability to sleep.

She told the hearing that she knew he had used cannabis for around two years prior to his death and also bought legal highs online.

Mrs Southam said: “He would come up with scientific stuff about how much safer it was than alcohol.

“He had a good logical brain and had a good grasp of science and chemistry.

“He would baffle us with science and argue he had a justification for what he was doing and how he could keep himself safe.

“He said they had good reviews and had researched tolerances and all sorts of rubbish.

“I knew he would not stop using everything but I said I could cope with cannabis.

“Buying unknown stuff, you are putting yourself in someone else's hands.”

She later discovered he spent huge sums of money buying drugs online - which arrived at the family home in jiffy bags.

She added: "He asked for £1,000 of his money to be transferred to his account.

“He said he wanted to be responsible for his own finances, buying clothes and so on.

“I then discovered there had been a constant drip, drip, drip from that account, of £15 and £20 here and there. That's what he'd been using it for.”

She said Joe admitted trying heroin on one occasion but said he 'hadn't liked it and wouldn't use it again'.

Silk Road was shut down by the FBI in November 2014 and founder Ross Ulbricht jailed for life last year.

The ‘dark web’ is only accessible by using a special internet browser.

The inquest, which is expected to last four days, continues.