Suicidal Telford gamer spoke online of plan

Nigel Mark Jones,43, Skyped a woman he had met while playing Farm Town to tell her of his intentions after his relationship broke down, a hearing in Wellington was told.

"Several times he said the only solution was to take his own life," said a statement from Karen Rix, Mr Jones' online friend.

He was found hanged by his former girlfriend Samantha Wallace at the home they still shared in Telford.

He had told Ms Rix, a gaming opponent who became a friend , that his 20-year relationship was over and he wanted to die.

Mr John Ellery, coroner for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, told Ms Wallace at yesterday's inquest: "You had been together for over 20 years and lived together but you and Mr Jones had agreed to separate, so at the time of his death it cannot be said that you were in a relationship."

Ms Wallace had returned to her home in The Nettlefolds, Hadley, on March 16 and saw Mr Jones' keys, a bottle of vodka and the television on.

Mr Ellery said: "You returned home at about 4.45pm and by that date you and Mr Jones had decided to separate and you were living together until he planned to live with his mother in Devon.

"When you came home you thought Mr Jones was upstairs in bed. You thought he had had a drink and you didn't want to disturb him.

"It wasn't until later when you went upstairs that you found Mr Jones.

"You found him, there's no easy way to say this, you found him hanging by the neck.

"You did not think he expected you to find him as when you came back it was half an hour earlier than normal."

A postmortem revealed there was 111 milligrammes of alcohol per 100millilitres of blood – the drink drive limit is 80 milligrammes.

Julie Hartridge, coroner's officer, read evidence from Karen Rix who said Mr Jones had told her he had previously attempted to take his own life.

She knew the couple were having relationship difficulties and texted Mr Jones on January 19 to see if the pair had spoken about their problems.

He replied: "Yes it's done and dusted I'm sorry to say."

Mrs Rix's statement said: "Several times he said the only solution was to take his own life."

On the morning of his death Mr Jones asked her: "What's the time, time's ticking away."

Mr Ellery recorded a verdict of suicide and reassured Ms Wallace that there was nothing she could have done to save him.

"From the photographs it is clear that he had made up his mind to do this and you should not torture yourself by thinking there was anything you could have done," he said.