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Depressed father hanged himself, inquest heard

By Tim Harris
February 08, 2013

A HUSBAND and father described by his widow as a real ‘family man’ had been suffering from depression before he took his own life last year.

Peter Dakin, 53, was found in Hawley Woods on the morning of December 10 by a dog walker.

Coroner Andrew Bradley gave a verdict of suicide at Mr Dakin’s inquest, held at Alton Magistrates’ Court on February 6.

Dr Norman Rattcliffe carried out the post mortem on Mr Dakin and confirmed the death was as a result of hanging. Blood toxicology showed Mr Dakin had alcohol in his system, but not enough for him to have been drunk.

After his death, his widow Samantha Dakin told the News & Mail that her late husband was a ‘family man’.

Mr Dakin, who had lived in Blackwater for the majority of his life, leaves behind a young son, a teenager stepdaughter, and two grown up daughters and a grandson.

“He will be greatly missed, I can’t actually believe he has gone,” said Mrs Dakin. “He was a very good father, he always liked making the kids happy. He would have done anything for them."

Mrs Dakin told the court they had been married for 12 years and described how the couple had experienced recent problems.

“Peter would drink on and off,” she said. “He has always been a drinker. His brother died in November 2011 – he never coped well with anything."

Mrs Dakin added: “He was getting help and support from all the right services. He was going to counselling and meetings. But he could not handle being by himself. He kept on drinking when he was at home and I could not have him doing that.”

Recording the suicide verdict, Mr Bradley said: “Peter Dakin was found dead having been hanging from a tree in Farnborough, having been depressed.”

For more on this story, see this week's News & Mail, out now.

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