DAUGHTERS of a Wroughton mechanic who took his own life in February have urged those close to those with depression to listen to their relative or friend.

Paul Murray hanged himself in a wood near Barbury Castle in the morning of Sunday, February 25.

An inquest into Mr Murray’s death heard the 61-year-old from Thorney Park had battled depression, regularly visiting his GP from 2016 to seek help for the condition.

Speaking after the inquest at Salisbury this week, Mr Murray’s daughters Victoria and Caroline Murray paid tribute to their father.

They said: “He was a bubbly, fun-loving man. He was loved so much by all his friends and family. He was just a happy man, he wanted to make everybody laugh.”

The pair, aged 27 and 28, had words of advice for those whose friends suffer from depression: “If you’re close to somebody who’s got depression, just listen and try and lift them up. Just be there for them and listen.”

Ian Singleton, assistant coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, concluded Mr Murray had committed suicide.

An inquest heard Mr Murray had made the short trip from his home in Thorney Park to a small copse near Barbury Castle, where he was found hanged. Police officers who discovered his body battled to revive him, performing CPR with paramedics and air ambulance medics for more more than half-an-hour.

The police had been called by Mr Murray’s wife of three years, Louise, earlier that morning. Louise, who had been in a relationship with Mr Murray for 13 years, found what she believed to be a suicide note written in an old diary and partly-hidden beneath blankets on a sofa.

“I did not believe he would hurt himself at that point,” she said in a statement read out by the assistant coroner.

But while police officers were with Mrs Murray, their colleagues found her husband’s black van on a track near the Barbury Castle. His body was discovered a short time later.

The inquest heard Mr Murray had struggled with depression, first visiting his GP at Wroughton’s Ridgeway View surgery in 2016. GP Dr Grover said of that first visit: “He said he would never harm himself because he had children. He admitted he was depressed and would like support.” Doctors prescribed him a range of medication to ease his depression.

However, Mr Murray’s low mood continued. He was admitted to A&E in November last year after shooting himself in the foot with a pellet gun.

Daughter Victoria Murray said in a statement her father had told her partner that he had wanted to “blow his brains out”.

Mr Murray’s depression lifted briefly when the former mechanic, who had lost his job in 2017, found work in the new year. Victoria Murray said: “He looked a different person. He was smiling and looked happy. I thought the new job changed him.”

But in the weeks leading up to his death he was again admitted to A&E after overdosing on codeine and diazepam. Mr Murray claimed it was accidental and he had simply taken too high a dose.

On the morning of his death, Mr Murray is said to have left the house around 6.15am apparently to get fuel for his van. He briefly returned home, before leaving again by 7.15am. He was said to have had a disagreement with his wife the previous night.

A post-mortem found the cause of death to be compression of the neck by ligature, with a secondary cause of depression.

At an inquest packed with 13 of Mr Murray’s relatives and friends, assistant coroner Mr Singleton said: “It remains for me to pass on to you, the family and friends of Paul, my sincere condolences for your loss.”

The Samaritans are available to help anybody in distress and can be reached at any time of the day or night free on 116 123 or by email at jo@samaritans.org.