Peter James Okuneye, 52, was found dead at his home in Bemersyde Point, Dongola Road West, on June 27.
An inquest was opened into his death at East London Coroner’s Court on Thursday, July 24.
“Police were called to the home of Mr Okuneye by a London Borough of Newham housing officer following reports of a bad smell emanating from the premises,” said coroner’s officer Jean Smyth.
After forcing entry to the flat, officers found his body “in a state of decomposition”.
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The Metropolitan Police Service decided the death was not suspicious and referred it to the court for further investigation.
An autopsy was ordered but the body was too badly degraded to find what had killed Mr Okuneye.
His cause of death has so far been listed by a pathologist as “unascertained”.
“I’m satisfied on those facts that this death occurred in circumstances requiring an inquest,” said coroner Nadia Persaud.
Coroners are required to hold public investigations into all unnatural or unexplained deaths.
“I would like some background information about Mr Okuneye in terms of his family structure, his occupation, his hobbies, his mental and physical health leading up to his death and, if the family have any concerns about the circumstances of the death, details of those,” said the coroner.
The family will be treated as “interested persons” – a legal status entitling them to be represented by a lawyer, to view evidence ahead of the final inquest hearing, and to question any witnesses called to testify.
Mrs Persaud ordered her staff to obtain Mr Okuneye’s medical records from his GP, including a summary of his recent consultations.
She also ordered that records and statements be obtained from attending police officers and from the senior officer who deemed Mr Okuneye’s death non-suspicious, setting out their “rationale” for doing so.
The final inquest was provisionally listed for January.
