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News & Star
By Staff Reporter
Last updated at 12:07, Saturday, 19 January 2013
A west Cumbrian man killed himself just hours after being sacked, an inquest heard. David Kenneth Iredale, 43, of Stamford Hill, Lowca, was found by his parents hanged in his garage following a call from his employer who was concerned about him.
The inquest heard how Mr Iredale had suffered from “agitated depression and intermittent thoughts of self-harm’’. He had also been on medication and had sought counselling.
David Roberts, coroner for north and west Cumbria, recorded a verdict of suicide. The cause of death was hanging. In a statement to the inquest, Ken Iredale told how he discovered his son.
Mr Iredale senior, who lived next door to his son, said he had seen Mr Iredale walking towards his house following his work meeting where he was sacked as a plant driver. His father said he hadn’t been concerned about him.
Speaking at the inquest, Jane Manning, manager of G & AM Lawson Ltd which employed Mr Iredale for more than 20 years, said he had been disciplined for safety issues at work. On September 13, he had been given a final written warning which he hadn’t appealed.
On October 17, he had been suspended from work and on October 19 he attended a meeting where he was sacked.
Dr Rodgers, Mr Iredale’s GP, said in a statement that Mr Iredale had complained of insomnia in 2009. “He was frustrated by his future at work and couldn’t switch off at night. He was irritable and had thoughts of self-harm,’’ said Dr Rodgers.
Mr Iredale had also said he had thoughts of hanging himself. The GP said Mr Iredale, a father of two, began taking medication and “felt better’’. However, during 2012 his mood was “up and down’’.
John Lawson, a director of G & AM Lawson Ltd, had known Mr Iredale for 25 years. He told the inquest he had driven Mr Iredale home after he was sacked.
“He told me he was on tablets and had tried to do away with himself before,’’ Mr Lawson said. “It was the first time he had mentioned it.’’ Mr Lawson said Mr Iredale had asked him to drop him off before his house as he wanted to walk to “clear his head’’.
After driving back to work, Mr Lawson was concerned about Mr Iredale and, an hour after dropping him home at 5pm, he rang Mr Iredale’s mother. His parents subsequently went to check on him and discovered him in the garage.
Julie Iredale, Mr Iredale’s wife, said the couple had been planning to go on holiday for a week on October 20 and had packed.
She admitted her husband had been worried about his work meeting as he thought he “wouldn’t be listened to’’ and that they “were getting shot of him’’.
After he had been suspended, Mrs Iredale said the couple had talked about how they would manage financially. He had been looking for another job and on the morning of his meeting with G & AM Lawson Ltd someone called to say they might have something for him, Mrs Iredale said.
“I feel he had everything taken away from him,” she said.