A FATHER-of-three from Nelson took his own life after his benefits were stopped and he was threatened with eviction from his home, an inquest heard.

The body of Benjamin Del McDonald, of Vaughan Street, was found off Gib Hill Road, where he played as a child, last November.

His sister, Mickayla Carr, told Burnley Coroner’s Court Mr McDonald was “a happy-go-lucky person” who “doted” on his five-year-old daughter.

Mr McDonald, 34, suffered from depression and was reported missing by his ex-partner, Joanne Almond, on November 19 before being discovered near Marsden Park Golf Club that afternoon.

East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor, referring to a written statement from Ms Carr, said Mr McDonald had tried to take his own life before.

Mr Taylor said: “Your belief was that he never intended to take his life, but that it was a cry for help.

“He tried to hang himself before but someone knocked on his door.

“He lived for his daughter. She meant the world to him.

“You believe what he did was out of character.”

Ms Carr said she believed her brother was diagnosed with depression in 2014, but Mr Taylor said records suggested he received treatment for 11 years.

Pathologist Dr Mohammed Aslan, who performed a post-mortem examination on Mr McDonald, gave the medical cause of death as hanging.

He said toxicology tests had found no evidence of drugs or alcohol other than a small dosage of Sertraline, an anti-depressant.

Concluding Mr McDonald had taken his own life while suffering from depression, Mr Taylor said: “Something must have happened to make him behave the way he did, because He had so much more to live for, especially his relationship with his daughter.

“At the time, his money had been stopped, he had no form of income, and he said he was threatened with eviction from his home – all matters that can play one someone’s mind very much.

“The appropriate conclusion for me today is that while he was suffering from a significant bout of depression, he took his own life.”