A ‘RECOVERING alcoholic’ was found hanging in a park the day after he was at court for messaging his wife threatening to kill himself.

Robert Edwards, aged 50, was found by a dog walker hanging from a tree in Wallingford’s Bullcroft Park in the early hours of Thursday, January 16, an inquest on Wednesday revealed.

Only hours before, he had been in the dock of Oxford Magistrates Court charged with breaching a molestation order stopping him from contacting his wife – who he was separated from.

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He had messaged her saying he was suicidal and was going to hurt himself and she called police.

In documents read out by the assistant coroner for the county, Nicholas Graham, police officers described racing to his friend’s house – where he was staying – with their blue-lights on at just after 11am on January 14.

When they arrived he was inside and was alive. He was cautioned and arrested for messaging her then driven to Abingdon Police Station.

One police officer at the station said he had arranged for Mr Edwards to see a mental health nurse, explaining: “During the course of the contact he said he was going to kill himself.”

Mr Edwards had depression which was caused by the breakdown of his marriage, his GP said in a statement.

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She explained that he had been living with a friend who he ‘felt close to’ and that he was not drinking anymore.

Another doctor at Oxford Health said he was a ‘recovering alcoholic’ who had ‘difficulties’.

She said he had made suicide attempts before and mentioned living with a friend but feeling ‘overwhelmed’.

At Abingdon station Mr Edwards was put in a holding cell ready to be taken to the court and in the morning of January 15, the day before his death, said he was ‘feeling better’.

However hours later he was discovered dead in the park by a dog walker.

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The dog walker said in a statement: “I was walking in the park at around 3.30am like I do every morning with my dogs. I noticed that all three dogs started barking.”

He said he had assumed there was a group of people, as there often is, but then on closer inspection ‘saw something dangling from the tree’.

He said he called the police and met them at the end of the park before showing them the way and heading home.

Paramedics from South Central Ambulance Service also arrived and declared that Mr Edwards was dead at the scene.

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He was identified by police officers from documents found on him – like a letter about his arrest.

He had also left a suicide note apologising to his wife, saying he had ‘f***ed it all up’.

Mr Graham said, that based on the evidence of a suicide note, his known depression, and earlier suicide attempts, he had chosen to take his own life and concluded a verdict of suicide.

He had officially died of hanging and a cardiac arrest from asphyxiation.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and need support, please contact the Samaritans on 116123.