British man in ‘first same-sex marriage’ died after overdose

AN ARCHITECT who was the first Briton to have a same-sex marriage legally recognised, died after overdosing on a gay sex drug after they broke up, an inquest has heard.

Wayne Hincks, 48, had taken a lethal dose of GHB, as well as another drug, after his relationship with his ex-husband Gerardo Gallardo broke down, the court heard.

The pair were the first British gay couple to be legally recognised as married in a ruling at a Canadian court.

They underwent a civil partnership ceremony at Hackney Town Hall, east London, in 2009 and moved to Toronto.

But when their relationship broke down, Mr Hincks turned to the Canadian courts to seek a divorce and half their assets on the grounds that they were a married couple.

It was following his two-year legal battle that a senior judge in Canada ruled that it would be “impermissible discrimination” not to view them as married, and claimed that the distinction in UK law between civil partnerships and marriage “violates human dignity”.

Mr Hincks returned to London after they split up.

He was found dead at his luxury canalside apartment in Hoxton on May 15 this year after taking the overdose, an inquest heard.

Mr Hincks, who held both Canadian and British passports, was found by a colleague after he failed to turn up for work.

Mr Gallardo became aware his former partner’s death only hours before the inquest began Tuesday.