A pub landlord, talented musician, chef, brother, partner, and much-loved son died after taking an overdose of prescribed medication.

Philip Sandham, 38, and his partner of 15 years, Angela Townsend, had run the Duckworth Hall Inn in Oswaldtwistle for the past four years.

It was here that Philip was found unresponsive in the early hours of February 10, before being rushed to Royal Blackburn Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4.50am.

Coroner Kate Bisset ruled Philip’s death as suicide after toxicology found a very high level of prescribed medication in his blood stream.

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Giving evidence at an inquest at Accrington Town Hall, Philip’s distraught father, former police officer, Keith Sandham, said his son was a “bloomin’ good bloke” and described how he was a very talented musician - a “metal head” - had been in a band, was an exceptional chef, and was passionate about his relationship with Angela.

Holding back tears, Mr Sandham said: “He struggled with his mental health and depression for some time, which started around the time of his exams at school, maybe at the age of 14.

“As time went on, we were convinced that he was bi-polar, but he would just say ‘giving it a name won’t change it’.

“He would go and get help from his doctors, but he never quite nailed it. He was up and down, and it wasn’t very nice for him, and for us.

“There were no triggers though, sometimes he was up, sometimes he was down – there was nothing we could attribute it to.

“He loved to travel as well and had just been to Mexico and joked about setting up a Taco stall out there.

“I’d never known him to have any underlying suicidal tendencies, but he would sometimes say to me, ‘oh, I am never going to grow old’.

“He has a sister and was close with her and her children and I last spoke to him on the Sunday night – we were close as a family.”

The inquest heard how on the night of his death, he had last been seen at about 1am going to bed.

Around an hour later, Angela found him collapsed close to their bedroom door.

An ambulance was called, and when paramedics arrived, they found Philip was still conscious, but his blood pressure had sky-rocketed and he was experiencing cardiac arrythmia.

Efforts were made to stabilise him and take him out of the pub on a casualty chair, but he suffered three seizures and stopped breathing and then went into cardiac arrest.

Philip was still in cardiac arrest when he reached Royal Blackburn Hospital just before 4am, and despite the best efforts of doctors, died shortly after. 

It was later discovered that Philip had kept a notebook where he wrote down his feelings, and within this had been a note, left to his family, stating his intentions and telling them how much he loved them.

Coroner Bisset said: “I am satisfied that Philip intended to take his own life, and have to record a suicide conclusion, but echoing what you said, Mr Sandham, I can be satisfied that he was a ‘bloomin’ good bloke’.

“I don’t know if he knew how good of a bloke he was or how much he was loved or how much of a hole he has clearly left in your lives and I offer my condolences to you all.”

If you're struggling with your mental health or are in crisis, you can call Samaritans free of charge on 116 123 - they're available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.