Depressed husband killed himself (From Warrington Guardian)

Depressed husband killed himself

THE husband of a Winsford woman hanged himself because he was devastated at the collapse of his marriage, an inquest heard last week. His wife's wedding dress was found suspended next to the body.

London Underground employee Paul Christopher Gayle, 30, was discovered after worried friends broke down the door of his flat at 150 Neasden Lane, Willesden, on January 28 this year.

Strewn around the flat were pages cut out from the Yellow Pages with numbers for marriage guidance and other helplines, Hornsey Coroners Court heard.

Father of one, Mr Gayle, who worked as a senior signal operator at Camden Town, had attempted suicide around three times previously.

On January 28, he had placed a ladder across the tops of two kitchen cupboards before looping a rope around the rungs. He had hung the wedding dress on a coat hanger from the light fitting.

PC David Rillier, from Willesden Green Police Station, said CID were called to the scene and there were no suspicious circumstances.

His wife, Lisa Gayle, an administrator, who now lives at an address in Winsford, said Paul had tried to hang himself when they first separated 18 months previously - but the rope had snapped.

He had telephoned her that weekend and tried to gas himself. She had telephoned his counsellor and arranged for the police to go round to the address.

Eventually, Paul's cousin had gone to stay with him and she then believed that he was going to be all right.

But when she failed to hear from him in the days following, she became worried again and telephoned Paul's close friend, Christopher Perry, who went round with two others and decided to break down the door on January 28.

Paul had left behind an envelope containing possessions including his bank cards, car keys and other documentation. He had also written three letters - one addressed to Lisa, one to their five-year-old son and another to his father.

He confided in his GP, a counsellor and had also sought treatment at Charter Nightingale Hospital in Camden.

His GP, Dr Adrian Richardson said he felt Paul was suffering from depression. He reported feeling down about his marital problems, stress at work and said he had on occasion felt suicidal.

Pathologist Dr Rufus Crompton gave the cause of death as hanging.

Recording a verdict that he killed himself, coroner Dr William Dolman said there was "ample and powerful evidence of intent."

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