A Wigan teenager died from a head injury caused by a homemade improvised gun, an inquest heard.

Owen Donnelly, 19, was described at Bolton Coroner’s Court as a “fine young man” who was focused on his health, exercising regularly and eating well.

The former Hawkley Hall High School pupil worked as a warehouse operative for Asda and had plans to set up a cleaning company.

He had everything to live for and was looking forward to a holiday in Spain, the inquest heard.

But tragically Owen was found unresponsive in a shed at his home on Ruskin Avenue, Goose Green, on the morning of Sunday, February 16.

He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and sadly he could not be saved.

A gun – described in court as a “homemade, improvised privately made firearm" – was found in the shed.

It is understood it had been produced at some point in the previous two and a half years, but the circumstances of when it was made and why Owen had it were unclear.

The court heard Owen went to a few pubs with friends on Saturday, February 15 to celebrate his best friend Joshua Turner’s birthday.

In a statement, Joshua said Owen went to sit in his car for around half an hour at 11pm to listen to music, something he had done before.

The group later went to Wigan and Owen was said to be in good spirits in the taxi as they went home.

CCTV footage showed Owen arrive home at 3.41am and go into the shed – described as a “man cave” – at 3.45am.

He sent text messages to Joshua which “made no real sense”, but referred to his car and his computer, with final communication at 4.03am.

The inquest heard one message is thought to have referred to a pocket in his car where a “note of intent” was later found.

It was not clear when it was written, but was thought to be recent, and referenced a personal matter that concerned him.

After Owen’s death, his parents were shocked to find anabolic steroids in his bedroom and told the court his personality had changed in the previous weeks, with him becoming quick to anger.

A Home Office post-mortem examination found Owen died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Toxicology tests showed the amount of alcohol in his blood was just below the legal limit for driving, but screening was not carried out for steroids.

Senior coroner Timothy Brennand recorded Owen died by suicide and said his parents and Joshua could not have known what would happen.

He said: “The evidence established the deceased’s actions to have been deliberate and intentional, albeit an impulsive, illogical and irrational act in the context of recent emotional disregulation associated with his private life, causing him to experience low mood and self-esteem, anxiety with elements of paranoia, potentially exacerbated by his recent consumption of anabolic steroids in preceding weeks.”

Mr Brennand will send a Prevention of Future Deaths report to the Home Secretary regarding privately made firearms.

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