A 51-YEAR-old man who was haunted by the sexual abuse he suffered as a child was found hanged at his home by his two brothers, an inquest was told.

Simon Phillip Keylock of Grebe Square, Upper Rissington, Bourton-on-the-Water suffered from anxiety and depression and his childhood drama had caused “a devastating effect” to his mental health, said Assistant Coroner for Gloucestershire Caroline Saunders, at the Gloucester inquest last week.

The coroner said she felt mental health professionals who assessed Mr Keylock as being at low risk of committing suicide were wrong, and he would have had more help if the level of risk had been correctly diagnosed.

“Mr Keylock’s two brothers, Barry and Jonathan, called on Simon at his home address on November 6 last year because they were worried about him,” said Ms Saunders.

“They found him hanging from the stairs with a pillow case over his head, and on a kitchen table there were letters addressed to both of them,” she said.

In the letters Mr Keylock said that he could think of no reason why he should continue, said the assistant coroner.

“You need love and stability in this life and there is not one thing I like about myself,” he wrote.

“I am cursed and full of hate. I was put here to suffer.”

He ended one of the letters by saying “I’m sorry to put you through this.”

Ms Saunders went on to say that Mr Keylock had bought a book on how to commit suicide.

“He admitted to making a previous attempt to end his life when he was 28,” she said.

“He took a drug overdose on that occasion.”

The assistant coroner, who recorded a conclusion of suicide, said: “The deceased had significant trauma in his childhood – sexual abuse which had a devastating effect on his mental health.

“Some of the mental health agencies dealing with him considered him to be of low risk of suicide.

"I would consider this assessment to be inaccurate.

“He should have been assessed as at higher risk and therefore given the help he needed.”

• If you are suffering with suicidal thoughts, you can contact Samaritans in confidence for free from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. Or you can email jo@samaritans.org or go to www.samaritans.org to find details of your local branch of Samaritans where you can talk to one of its volunteers face to face.