Suicide husband suspected wife affair

An inquest into the death of George Davies heard that the school lollipop man was found hanging by a rope from the loft space at his home in Hilton Road, Darwen.

His wife, Irene, said she had no idea why he had killed himself but his daughter from his first marriage, Angela Smithson, said that a few days before her dad's death the couple had argued about the computer.

"My dad was convinced she was having an affair with the computer bloke," said Mrs Smithson. "That would have tipped him over the edge."

She said that when she was 11 years old she had found her dad in the loft with a rope tied round a beam because her mum was leaving him.

"I want to ask if she was having an affair with the computer repair man," said a tearful Mrs Smithson.

Mrs Davies replied "No, No."

The inquest heard that Mrs Davies's daughter from a previous marriage, Jeanette, had been diagnosed with lung cancer in December. She had died on February 8.

"It was a complete shock to everybody, especially George," said Mrs Davies. "He went to see his doctor but wasn't given any medication."

On the night before his death Mrs Davies and her husband had been line dancing at a church hall. She said her husband was quiet but that did not concern her because he was by nature a quiet man.

The following morning Mrs Davies got up at 7 am and went to work leaving her husband asleep in bed.

When she returned as she walked up the stairs to their flat she saw her husband hanging by a rope tied round his neck. There was a set of step ladders in front of him. Mrs Davies ran to the kitchen and got a pair of scissors which she used to cut her husband down but he was already dead.

Mrs Davies said her husband had not left any note and she could not think of any reason why he would take his own life.

The medical cause of death was given as hanging and deputy coroner Carolyn Singleton recorded a verdict of suicide.