Suicide verdict at inquest into death of 44 year old

Tree surgeon struggled with personal issues

An inquest into the death of a Douglas man has heard he was a 'larger than life' character who had been struggling to deal with issues in his personal life.

The body of 44-year-old Alexander Maitland Skyrme was found next to a shotgun in Arrasey plantation in August last year.

Today, Coroner of Inquests Jayne Hughes recorded a suicide verdict, as the inquiry into his death concluded.

The inquest heard Mr Skyrme, a tree surgeon who lived on Ashbourne Avenue on Douglas, had been depressed, although he had not had contact with mental health services, so it hadn't been officially diagnosed.

He had been upset for some time about the deteriorating health of his father, who has Parkinson's disease, and the possibility of ending up with it himself.

Mr Skyrme had also felt his marriage was in trouble, and his favourite dog had recently died, both of which had further contributed to his distressed state at the time.

In delivering her verdict, Mrs Hughes passed on her condolences to his family, particularly his widow, who had found his death very difficult to deal with.