Family baffled at man's death

Father-of-one Martyn Thomas was described as “the life and soul of the party” by those closest to him, Bolton Coroner’s Court was told.

But his partner Natalie Cartwright arrived at their home in Farr Close, Worsley Mesnes, in the early hours of May 1, to discover his body hanging on the stairs, an inquest heard.

Timothy Brennand, the Bolton assistant coroner, said Mr Thomas had left a note, apologising for his actions and confirming he “couldn’t take it any more”.

He had sent her a text, at around 10,45pm the previous night, telling her he was going to bed, she later told police, giving no indication of what was to then happen.

She said he was devoted to his young son, Callum, and had been looking forward to a pre-planned holiday at the time of of his death.

“He was always prepared to see the good in everyone. He was vibrant and sociable, really a people person. The life and soul of the party,” she added.

Detectives in Wigan have confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

The inquest heard Mr Thomas did take cocaine recreationally, on occasion.

He had become worried about his usage in early 2017, seeking the assistance of drugs counsellors at Addaction, as he was spending between £300 and £400 per month on the drug.

Questioned by the assistant coroner, Ms Cartwright said he did not appear to be overly concerned about the issue in the weeks leading up to his death.

Victoria Bowdler, a team leader at the charity, confirmed he had not attended appointments which had been offered to him in both February and March.

Recording a suicide conclusion, Mr Brennand said the inquest had not been able to firmly establish the reasons behind why the deceased had acted as he did.

But the contents of the note left little doubt about his ultimate intentions, he added.