ADRIAN Kowalik, who died after being hit by a train, had threatened to kill himself following the breakdown of his marriage, an inquest heard.

During yesterday’s proceedings, at Salisbury Coroner’s Court, it was heard that Mr Kowalik died on June 19 last year near Swindon Train Station.

He had been released from Great Western Hospital just hours earlier. He had been at the hospital since June 17 after he caused a 4cm wound to his left wrist after his wife Joanna said the couple needed to have a break.

The couple, from Poland who had two children, married in 2005, and had lived in Union Street, Old Town, since the winter of 2007.

Mrs Kowalik said: “He said ‘If this is over then I will go to the railway line and kill myself as I know there’s a 100 per cent chance of success.’ “I told him not to be stupid and think of the children.”

David Ridley, Wiltshire and Swindon corner, who is overseeing the inquest, heard that Mr Kowalik suffered from severe back pain and had given up work in March 2011.

Mrs Kowalik said that her husband had a tendency to get abusive under the influence of alcohol and had been smoking cannabis for two years.

Mr Kowalik, who had previously self-harmed in 2001 and 2003, had also started dealing the drug. His wrist injury was only considered minor but he was kept at GWH due to concerns over his mental health.

Between June 18 and 19 he underwent three assessments from three different teams. Due to his poor English, a Polish nurse had to interpret at the first assessment and an interpreter was present at the other two.

Celia Moore, of Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust team, based at GWH, carried out the first assessment. She said: “At times he was quite tearful and I quite vividly remember him saying ‘thank you, I know you’re trying to help me but I’m going to kill myself.’”

He was categorised as high-risk but Kris Dearing, a senior practitioner, said he had shown slight improvements by the time he carried out the second assessment.

He said: “He was open but changed when I spoke to his wife on the phone and his wife said to tell him to ‘take care.’ I think that he felt that was the end of the relationship.”

During the inquest Mrs Kowalik said that despite their problems she had planned to welcome her estranged husband back to their home so she could take care of him during his recovery.

Concerned about Mr Kowalik’s state of mind, Mr Dearing asked his manager and Dr Angela Kapnias to carry out a further assessment.

It was found that his risk level was moderate and there was no legal grounds to detain him.

It was recommended that Mr Kowalik attend Applewood Ward at Sandalwood Court for a 72-hour assessment, although he was under no obligation to go. He left GWH at 3pm.

He suffered severe injuries to his head and chest in the train incident which led to his death, and a toxicology report found there were no alcohol or drugs in his system.

The inquest continues