A FINANCIAL consultant at Friends Life who killed himself at home showed no indication he was unhappy or having suicidal thoughts, an inquest has heard.

Martyn Mashford, 52, from Downton, hanged himself on November 17 after sending texts to his family, and a message to a colleague who was due to pick him up for work saying he felt unwell.

The inquest, held at Salisbury Coroner's Court on Thursday, heard Mr Mashford had got up at around 6.30am on the Monday before going into the garage to end his life.

Two days before he had gone with friends and family to see a rugby match at Twickenham and the following day spent time syncing a new iPad that he had given to his wife Kath.

In statements read out by Wiltshire assistant coroner Ian Singleton, Mrs Mashford said her husband had “seemed a bit tired but nothing out of the ordinary”.

She said he had switched off the alarm on November 17 and gone downstairs while she had remained in bed.

Just before 8am she was aware that her husband was not in the bathroom as was his custom for that time of the morning. Coming downstairs, she noticed a door in the house was unusually shut. She then opened an internal garage door to find her husband, later finding a note addressed to her in the house.

She said there was no indication her husband was unhappy or having suicidal thoughts and that the couple were financially secure.

A colleague at Friends Life told the inquest, in a statement, that Mr Mashford had no sickness history but had recently taken compassionate leave after three members of his family passed away in a short period of time.

He was described at work as a quiet man who kept himself to himself.

Mr Singleton recorded a conclusion of suicide.