SAILOR Andrew Farrow was refused a bed in Green Lane Hospital, Devizes, just days before he died from a cocktail of alcohol and pain medication last July, an inquest heard today.

An inquest in Salisbury heard the 48-year-old, of Festival Close, Devizes, had suffered from depression since 1986 and had tried to take his own life on more than four different occasions.

He requested a hospital stay several times in the days before his death but was told that no beds were available.

Mr Farrow suffered a paralysing spinal cord injury in 2006 when he fell out of a tree after a failed hanging attempt.

The court heard that the charity worker had then tried to kill himself on several other occasions over the next few years and took several overdoses, along with drinking heavily and self harming.

He had no contact with mental health teams from March 2011 until July 4, 2014, when he told the team in Swindon he wanted to die.

A report from his GP stated he had been on anti-depressants for two weeks before he died as ongoing difficulties with his paralysis had made him feel depressed and hopeless.

Although it was initially felt that hospital was required he was referred for home treatment.

The court heard that although Mr Farrow’s previous stay in Callington Road Hospital, Bristol, in 2011 was beneficial there were no beds available at Green Lane.

He hoped a hospital stay would provide structure and he would not be alone which would allow him to sleep and eat better.

On the day of this death he requested a hospital stay again but it was decided that it was not required at that time and for treatment to continue at home. He was told that his request would be discussed at case review meeting later that day.

He agreed to a medication review and a second visit later the same day.

It was on this second visit that Mr Farrow’s body was found on the evening of July 7. When police entered his flat vodka bottles and tablet packets were found.

A report from the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership stated that Mr Farrow had felt that hospital was the only option to move forward. It also said that he was keen to get better and felt guilty about the relapse.

Assistant Coroner Peter Hatvany expressed concerns about the lack of beds available at Green Lane, and wanted to know if inquires had been made to the hospital in Bristol, but was satisfied at Mr Farrow’s treatment up until his death.

Recording a narrative verdict for Mr Farrow’s death he said: “Andrew died at home due to acute alcohol and codeine toxicity.

“He had suffered from recurrent depressive relapses throughout the last 28 years along with intermittent heavy use of alcohol and self harm. These relapses had been treated with antidepressants and counselling.

“Andrew believed that a hospital stay would save his life and on the day of his death was visited by a member of North Wiltshire Intensive Service earlier who found him relaxed and welcoming.

“He had also sent a text message to a former girlfriend that did not indicate anything was wrong and made himself lunch.

“We cannot say for sure that Mr Farrow deliberately intended to kill himself on that day as the alcohol would have seriously affected his judgment.”

The court also heard about the father-of-two’s family history and that both his father and grandmother had killed themselves.

A spokesman for Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust said: "The coroner did not consider the Trust to be a properly interested person to proceedings, and as such we were not involved in the inquiry.

"It would be inappropriate for the Trust to comment on the Coroner's Inquiry into the death of Mr Farrow."

An accomplished sailor, Mr Farrow had bought a boat thanks to a grant from the Southern Spinal Injuries Trust (SSIT) and in 2013 competed against some of the world’s top sailors at the International 2.4 metre class World Championship in Poole.