IN THE days leading up to his death, family and friends of a Wroughton man never suspected that he might take his own life.

During an inquest yesterday into the death of Paul Humphries, friends, family and colleagues said there had been nothing in his behaviour to suggest Paul might take his own life.

Paul Williams, who had worked with him for 12 years at BT, spoke to him on the morning he died but did not suspect anything was out of the ordinary. He had twice seen the doctor about a low mood in 2009 and 2011, but these had taken place more than a year before his death on November 26 last year.

On the day he died, Paul returned to his home in Wroughton hours before he knew his wife, Rose, would return home from work at about 11.30am.

Neighbour of 30 years Joy Haynes said: “He came home early in his van. I didn’t think anything of it because I knew he would come home to do paperwork.”

At about 1.30pm her husband, Robert, knocked on the front door. Paul did not answer but Robert noticed the kitchen door was closed, which was unusual.

It was about 2.45pm when Rose returned home and found that he was dead.

Coroner Dr Claire Balysz recorded a verdict of suicide and said Paul’s final behaviour indicated that he had intended to take his own life.

She said: “He knew that his wife, Rose, would not be home from work until later.

“There is the fact that he had shut the kitchen door as well.

“My conclusion is going to be that Paul took his own life when his mind was disturbed.”

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