A BARROW man who was going through a divorce killed himself after an argument with his latest partner, an inquest heard.

An inquest in Ruthin, North Wales, heard how Joanne Fell told Paul Atkinson to leave her home in Hawarden, Flintshire, on the night of June 15.

The 49-year-old BAE worker packed his case and sent her a message saying: “It’s time to die”, the hearing was told.

The following morning Ms Fell found his body in the garden, it was said.

Police had been alerted by the ambulance service after hewas found at a house in The Close.

The inquest heard a post-mortem examination revealed that he had 135 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

The drink-drive limit is 80 mgs.

The inquest heard that Mr Atkinson, 49, whose home was in Abbey Road, Barrow, had tried to hang himself in January this year but had fallen and injured his shoulder .

But Ms Fell said: “Even though he had tried to kill himself some months before I didn’t think for one minute he would do it.”

Mr Atkinson was a team leader and inspection officer with BAE Systems, who have a factory close to Hawarden in Broughton, Flintshire.

His wife Julie told the hearing, which was conducted remotely, that they married in 2006 but the relationship ran into difficulties and she had filed for divorce.

John Gittins, coroner for North Wales East and Central, recorded a conclusion of suicide.

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