A Blunsdon man who died after falling from a town centre multi-storey car park deliberately intended to take his own life, a coroner has ruled.

Bradley Child had experienced a downturn in his mental health in the weeks leading up to his death, an inquest at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroners’ Court heard on Thursday.

Police and paramedics were called to Islington Street just after 2pm on July 3, 2022, after members of the public reported seeing a man falling from the Fleming Way car park.

The inquest was told that Bradley’s vehicle was found in the car park and that he was pronounced dead at 2.32pm.

A close relative of Bradley said in a statement to the court that she remembered him being a "happy child growing up" until, at 16, his mental health suddenly deteriorated, he started hearing voices and became "incredibly reclusive".

Her brother liked to keep fit and active by going to the gym and having daily walks accompanied by his family, who helped him feel safe while outdoors.

GP appointments kept him supplied with medication to treat paranoid ideations. 

Bradley spent some time at Sandalwood Court after being sectioned in 2014, though a mental health review held in late 2021 raised no concerns.

The inquest heard that, at his last mental health review in June 2022, his GP described him as "stable, in a good place, with no thoughts of self-harm", and agreed with a request to reduce medication.

Bradley's loved ones then noticed a stark difference in his behaviour.

He began drinking more regularly than before, was seen staring at the screen of a television that was paused, and would laugh nervously then shrug off any questions about what he was laughing at.

It was reported at the hearing that he had appeared to be in a much better mood and discussed lowering his medication because he hated the stigma of taking pills and wanted to be free of them after taking them for so long.

"After this happened, he changed his mannerisms," a family member said.

On the day of his death, it was reported that Bradley was at home for most of the morning and was last seen at 11.30am.

No-one knew where he had gone until the police knocked on the door to tell his relatives that he had died.

David Ridley, senior coroner for Wiltshire, recorded a verdict of suicide and expressed his sincere condolences to Bradley’s family.

If you're struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org