AN "obsessed" chartered accountant who had lived with his partner of six years until he found out she was seeing another man, hanged himself at home after failing to rekindle their love affair.

A coroner heard today (October 23) that Edward Hill had become engaged to his ex-partner in 2016 after they had been together for four years.

The 29-year-old had been “extremely distressed” when his then partner had broken off their engagement in February last year.

Although they continued living together and Mr Hill’s parents tried to support them and hoped they would continue their relationship, they learned of “another man that his partner was seeing”, the coroner was told and Mr Hill had asked her to move out, sell the share of the house she owned to him and he lived alone from then on.

The coroner said Mr Hill was an in-patient for four weeks at the Priory Hospital before he was discharged on Friday October 12 last year, the inquest heard.

Police were called to Mr Hill’s home in Arborfield, Wokingham after his father James found him hanged on October 16 last year.

Mr Hill’s mother, Sheila, told the inquest in Reading how her son, who worked as a senior manager for FLB Accountants, had started weekly therapy with Dr Christian Buckland in May last year, after he had experienced a crisis as he became “obsessed” with his ex.

She said: “Ed was determined, never one for giving up on something or someone.

“Around the time of his transfer of ownership of the house completing, he deteriorated. We believe now that it may have been because he no longer had any official reason to contact [his ex partner].

“Ed was determined to try to put right their relationship and all of the things that he perceived that he had done wrong."

Dr Buckland, who burst into tears before giving evidence at the inquest, told the coroner: “He commented that he had got himself into such a state. It was apparent to me that there was a crisis that could come.

“The paperwork for the sale of the house was difficult for him because he was still having contact with his ex partner during those periods.

“He was very stuck in the ruminations of ‘how can I get her back?’ and found it very difficult to engage in any other conversation.”

Mr Hill was intending to go on a trip with university friends to Vietnam, the inquest was told, but he contacted Dr Buckland after having a bad night and asked him to get him admitted to hospital.

The coroner, who gave a verdict of suicide, said he did not believe his partner's departure had caused Mr Hill's suicide. 

Mr Wade also said he would not indicate any anticipation of issuing a report to prevent future deaths when he delivered his finding at the conclusion of the inquest today.