Inquest finds Jayden Penno-Tompsett died of exposure to elements in bush at Breddan

Northern coroner Nerida Wilson ruled out foul play in the disappearance of Mr Penno-Tompsett on December 31, 2017.

The court had heard Mr Penno-Tompsett had been travelling to Cairns with a friend, Lucas Tattersall, for New Year celebrations when he went missing.

The pair had been carrying quantities of the illicit drugs methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA, ice and ecstasy.

Based on the evidence of Mr Tattersall, Mr Penno-Tompsett consumed about 3.6 grams of ice during the trip and had not slept for four days. He reportedly became erratic and unpredictable after a stopover for fuel at 3am on December 31 when soon thereafter he could not locate his stash of ice.

According to Mr Tattersall, Mr Penno-Tompsett drove around Charters Towers and outskirts in a frenzy for about five or six hours before parking the car on the side of a dirt road at Breddan and walking off towards a fenced paddock, smashing his mobile phone, and taking with him a quantity of MDMA and his wallet.

Mr Tattersall, after searching for a few hours, then drove on to Cairns as prearranged to meet up with friends. The group did not report Mr Penno-Tompsett missing until January 3, sparking a large-scale search effort.

Ms Wilson said Mr Penno-Tompsett disappeared without a trace.

"Jayden had little or no prospect of surviving the combination of 40 degree temperatures, the isolated and unfamiliar location, his drug affected state, dehydration and the associated physiological changes," she said.

"Police consider that more likely than not Jayden was deceased before the official search commenced and that the delay in reporting his disappearance significantly prejudiced their investigation and search."

The police investigation remains open with the opportunity to reopen the inquest if new evidence comes to light.