Bipolar sufferer died after night of laughter

A BIPOLAR disorder sufferer was found dead in his flat the day after enjoying a night in with his son, an inquest heard.

Stuart Campbell, 41, was found at his flat on Ashley Court in Accrington on December 18 last year by son Connor Crawshaw and another relative.

A post-mortem examination found he died of hanging and a toxicology test revealed he had two-and-a-half times the legal drink driving limit for alcohol in his system and normal levels of prescribed bipolar medication.

Mr Crawshaw told Blackburn Coroners Court that the night before his death they had spent an evening enjoying a takeaway and a few drinks before getting into an argument.

He said: “We sat there all night having one of the best laughs I have had with him. He was really happy all night.

“Later on in the night he started messing about throwing chips at me and bits of food. An argument broke out.”

Mr Crawshaw said Mr Campbell then ‘looked vacant’ and when his fiancée later tried to get into the flat it was locked.

Concerns were raised by a family member the next evening when Mr Campbell could not be contacted and he was found dead after entry was forced at his flat.

The inquest heard how the sales manager was the ‘life and soul of the party and wanted a laugh’ but his mood changes could ‘happen quite rapidly’ and he was ‘more manic than depressed’.

A statement from his GP said the sales manager had been stressed a few weeks earlier after being summonsed for nonpayment of council tax.

He was also planning on travelling to Australia for five weeks but was ‘worried’ he had not saved up anything towards the trip.

Coroner Michael Singleton recorded a conclusion of suicide.