A 68-year-old man sadly died in his own home as a result of suicide, an inquest heard.

Cockermouth Coroner’s Court was told how Kenneth Stephen Mann of Millom died on December 9 2019 after telling his wife he was going to kill himself after she went to visit her children in London.

His wife, Margaret Mann, provided a statement for the hearing.

“Kenneth Mann was born in Rochdale in Lancashire and he worked as a prison officer,” the statement read.

“He had PTSD so he took retirement early at the age of 55. He felt he needed me there all the time to look after him constantly, which is why he did not like it when I went to visit my children. Ken had made previous threats of suicide when I had gone to visit my children, but had not acted on it. The last message he sent me was at 10.52pm on December 8 which read: 'Had enough my body is in the bedroom, love you'.”

The last person to see Mr Mann alive was his neighbour Josephine Woodward as he dropped a paper off for her on a daily basis.

Josephine’s statement also mentioned how she was the person who found Mr Mann’s body after Linda Corbett, his other neighbour, was concerned for his wellbeing after hearing constant barking from his dogs, so they went to his house on Wilson Avenue to check on him.

The police statements, provided by the police officers present, detailed how Mr Mann had left a note saying he was going to take his own life, as well as finding two knives with blood on them near his body in the bedroom. They found no suspicious circumstances at the scene. The toxicology report noted a potentially toxic level of codeine in his blood sample among other pain-masking drugs.

Ms Kirsty Gomersal, the area coroner, said: “Ken had a history of depression and panic attacks and was taking medication for this. I am satisfied that his decision making was not affected by the drugs in his system. Ken died as a result of hypovolemic shock due to self inflicted wounds.”