AN ELECTRICIAN went out in the early hours of the morning and hanged himself from a tree close to his Darwen home.

But an inquest heard that Graeme Doran’s family and friends had no idea why he had taken his own life.

And coroner Michael Singleton said that what made him behave in that way would remain a mystery.

The inquest heard that Graeme lived in Fountain Street with his father Brian Doran. On the evening before his death in June they had watched a European Championship football match together and then Graeme had gone to the pub to meet a friend.

He came home in the early hours and shouted up to his dad that he was back.

Mr Doran said he heard his son talking to the cat as he fed it and everything seemed perfectly normal.

The following morning Mr Doran got up to make breakfast but when he went to wake Graeme it was obvious he had not slept in his bed. Mr Doran’s daughter Joanne came to the house and said the police and ambulance were down the road and they were removing a body.

“Even then I didn’t think anything,” said Mr Doran. “I thought Graeme had probably gone to the shop for some cigarettes. It was only when I was asking a police officer what was going on that I saw he had Graeme’s keys that I realised it was him.”

Mr Doran said as well as seeing to the cat Graeme had set his alarm so he would get up in the morning because he had a big job on.

Graeme was also looking forward to a holiday in Malta and although there were problems with access to his 12 year old daughter there had been no suggestion he was depressed.

“I’ve spoken to his mates and none of them know any reason why he would do what he did,” said Mr Doran.

The medical cause of death was given as hanging and recording a verdict that Graeme killed himself coroner Michael Singleton said what made him do it would remain a mystery.