THE heartbroken stepdad of murdered Scarlett Keeling has been found dead - a year after admitting he would "drink himself to death".

Adam Foster, 39 - father of two of Scarlett's younger siblings - turned to booze after the pretty 15-year-old was raped and killed in Goa in 2008.

The floor-layer, who helped raise Scarlett from the age of seven, was arrested for being drunk and disorderly last year. A court heard he was drinking daily to "blot out the emotional upset".

He was pronounced dead by paramedics at his flat in Torquay, Devon, on Monday.

Scarlett's mum Fiona MacKeown - who had a four-year relationship with Adam - was unavailable for comment last night. She had been due to fly to India to give evidence at her daughter's murder trial this week but the flight was grounded by the volcanic ash cloud.

Fiona has two children by Adam - Trinity Willow, eight, and Aurora Lupe, seven.