Wigan man found dead behind ex's house had been 'unable to get medication'

Ashley Backhouse, 36, had been taking anti-depressant citalopram for anxiety and depression since last year.

But at an inquest into his death, his sister Amy Backhouse claimed he had not taken the medication for six weeks as he had not been able to get it.

He called Beech Hill Health Practice at 8am for an appointment, as recommended, but there were none left by the time he got through, she explained.

She said: “He confided in me that he hadn’t been able to get through to the doctors’ for an appointment and when he tried to get a repeat prescription over the phone he couldn’t get one, so he wasn’t taking his medication.”

Miss Backhouse said her brother was “normally bubbly, talkative, funny” and always telling “silly jokes and daft one-liners”, and she could see a difference when he was not taking anti-depressants.

But GP Dr Sonia Gupta told Bolton Coroner’s Court there was “no evidence” he had been trying to contact the surgery.

She said Mr Backhouse, from Norley, reported feeling very low and anxious in September 2022, was suffering a bereavement and had thought about self-harm but was not going to act.

He was prescribed citalopram for seven days and then, after reviews, was given further prescriptions.

Dr Gupta said this became a repeat prescription and Mr Backhouse collected the medication again on November 28.

But, during a difficult exchange with coroner Simon Nelson, she was unable to confirm whether Mr Backhouse had received the anti-depressants in the following months.

She suggested his family contact the surgery to discuss his medical history in full.

Mr Nelson urged Mr Backhouse’s relatives to do this and said it was not possible to know if the outcome was affected by whether or not he had taken the medication.

The inquest heard Mr Backhouse, who worked as a driver, spent the evening of May 25 at his ex-girlfriend Sarah Cato’s house in Orrell, where they chatted and had a few drinks.

They had a “disagreement” when he asked to stay the night and she wanted him to leave at 2am, but she said it “certainly wasn’t a blazing row”.

She went to bed and thought Mr Backhouse had left to go to his mother’s house, but she later discovered his bag and bike were still there.

Mr Backhouse’s mother became concerned and reported him missing at 4pm on May 26, with police considering him to be at “high risk”.

Searches were carried out and Mr Backhouse’s body was found in a small wooded area behind Miss Cato’s house on Orrell Road the following day.

A post-mortem examination concluded Mr Backhouse died by hanging.

The inquest heard his location could not be seen from the road, he did not tell anyone his intentions and police did not find evidence of third party involvement.

Mr Nelson concluded he died by suicide, suggesting it was an “impulsive act”.

He said he may have felt rejected by Miss Cato, been thinking of friends and family who had died, and struggled to express his thoughts to his loved ones.

If you need to talk, call Samaritans on 116 123.