A YOUNG man took his own life just hours after returning from a night out with friends, an inquest into his death found.
Liam Jones, of Manor Crescent, Grimethorpe, was found hanged in a woodland in Grimethorpe on May 20 despite having never displayed any signs of having mental health problems.
The 24-year-old, who had been his usual ‘happy-go-lucky self’ in the preceding days, returned from a night out in Cudworth before he was found sleeping on a settee in his living room by Quinn Atherton, his girlfriend of four years.
Quinn said she left the house they shared with her mother, Susan Atherton, at about 10.30am before returning at 12.45pm. Liam was not in the house, and she later discovered a suicide note on the TV stand in their bedroom.
His inquest, held in Sheffield on Wednesday, was told it was Susan who found Liam hanging in a nearby woodland after being alerted about the note by her daughter.
A post-mortem examination revealed a small amount of alcohol and cocaine was present in his system, although no other injuries were found on Liam’s body other than marks to the neck.
PC Zak Franks said: “We were notified about Liam’s note and deemed him to be a high risk missing person due to its contents. We went to the area and soon found out that Susan, Quinn’s mother, had located Liam.
“We quickly established there was no third-party involvement.”
A Facebook page The Liam Jones Legacy was set up days after news broke about his death, which helps mental health sufferers access much-needed support services in the hope of saving lives.
Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, with 84 people taking their own lives across the country every week according to charity Samaritans.
“Liam did struggle after his dad died in 2015 but he had no depression diagnosis and he never mentioned anything about taking his own life,” Quinn told the hearing.
“He left a suicide note which said we will try again on the other side. We had so much planned together he’d just started a new job, we’d recently picked up a new car and we had a holiday booked.
“He was a happy man who helped anyone he could. The thing that makes everything more upsetting is that he didn’t tell anyone about what he was feeling he was smiling on the outside but inside was obviously feeling different.”
Recording a verdict of suicide by hanging, coroner Angharad Davies said: “It’s clear Liam was distressed and never recovered from his father’s death. He never sought treatment.
“He was out with his friends on the day before his death and there was nothing untoward when he returned home, so people went about their day-to-day business as normal.
“Quinn returned to the house and he wasn’t there, but found a note from Liam. She acted promptly and after her initial search was unsuccessful, she called the police and her mother.
“Very sadly this search was concluded by Susan, who came across the distressing sight. I reluctantly say he did intend on taking his own life but my condolences must go to his family as it’s very sad.
“It’s particularly so in this case because he was so young and clearly had much to live for. This was a tragic and untimely death.”
