Company director from Shropshire drowned in canal suicide

Pauraic Sweeney, from Orslow near Newport, was found dead on July 28, near Gnosall.

Cannock Coroner's Court heard Mr Sweeney was reported missing by his partner, Adrian Hodgetts, at 9.10pm the previous evening.

Mr Sweeney, who was joint managing director of West Bromwich-based Forkers, had been at work as normal on July 27.

Using a mobile tracking app, Mr Sweeney was located at the Shropshire Union Canal near Fan Lizard Lane, where police found a note in his vehicle before recovering the body of the 51-year-old from the water at first light.

A boat owner saw Mr Sweeney near the bridge at 5pm and it is believed he had been submerged in the water for about 12 hours when his body was recovered at 7.30am the next morning.

A police investigation ruled out any third party involvement and a post-mortem revealed no injuries to his body and no drugs or alcohol in his system.

The court heard from Sergeant Thomas Fotherby that Mr Sweeney had fallen about four metres from the canal bridge.

When his body was recovered, Mr Sweeney was found with a sports bag of rocks.

South Staffordshire assistant coroner Louise McCabe recorded the cause of death as drowning and concluded it was suicide.

She said: "I can see no alternative conclusion. I am sure that Mr Sweeney intended to take his own life; he was in a pre-meditated mindset."

Following Mr Sweeney's death, Forkers chief executive Bob Thomas said: "He had been at the company for 29 years, joining as a senior buyer and working his way up. He will be sorely missed."