A former Oxfordshire resident who made death threats against South East MP Nigel Farage after the two were involved in a plane crash has died.

The body of Justin Adams, 48, was found by police at his home in Eastbourne, East Sussex, last month. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

In May 2010, he was flying a light aircraft which was towing an election banner for passenger Mr Farage’s UK Independence Party, when it nosedived to the ground.

Both men were injured in the crash. Mr Farage said: “It’s a very tragic situation and I’m very sad about Mr Adams’ passing.”

In June 2011, Mr Adams, a self-employed commercial pilot, was given a two-year community order after Oxford Crown Court heard that he had threatened to kill Mr Farage as a “cry for help”.

The court heard that Mr Adams, who lived in Faringdon at the time, lost work in the six months it took for the Civil Aviation Authority probe into the crash to take place and made threats to kill both CAA crash investigator Martin James and Mr Farage.

He was found guilty after a three-day trial. Mr Justice Saunders said Mr Adams had been suffering from a “depressive order of moderate severity” triggered by the plane crash.

A Sussex Police spokesman said Mr Adams was found dead at his home in Eastbourne on November 12. An inquest has been opened and adjourned.