Suicidal man told his family he had cancer
AMAN who told his family he had terminal stomach cancer and that he was HIV positive before he killed himself was not suffering from the illnesses, an inquest heard.
David James Frost Mellor, 53, of Eden Drive, Macclesfield, was found dead in the utility room of the bungalow he shared with his mother Kathleen.
A hearing at Macclesfield Crown Court heard Mr Mellor had suffered from alcohol related problems and depression in the preceding years and had made previous attempts on his life.
Mr Mellor, who was employed as a credit controller and was divorced, was raised in Macclesfield but had left to live and work in London at the age of 18.
The court heard that he had largely lost touch with his family and had worked in television at that stage of his career.
His mother, Kathleen Mellor, gave evidence to the court, saying he had returned to Macclesfield to live with her in 2015 after the break up of his marriage and had arrived ‘in a dreadful state’.
She said: “He told us he had stomach cancer.
“We later found out it was fantasy but he seemed to believe it.”
She said that after a difficult few months she helped nurse him back to health and prior to his death he seemed ‘ happy and settled and back to his normal self’.
She told the court that a short time before his death he had been offered a full time job in Leeds.
Speaking of his death, she said: “I just don’t understand it and I never will.”
Mrs Mellor said she found her son dead in the utility room of their bungalow in the early hours of March 21 this year.
The court heard that Mr Mellor’s niece, who was staying at the house, had seen him in the property at around 7.30pm that evening and he had seemed ‘happy, drunk’ and was dancing around the house.
Toxicology reports conducted after Mr Mellor’s death revealed an alcohol reading of more than three times the drink driving limit.
The cause of death was given as hanging.
A police investigation concluded there were no suspicious circumstance surrounding his death.
Recording a conclusion of suicide, assistant Cheshire coroner Michael Wallbank, said: “For some reason he said he had stomach cancer and was HIV positive but that was not the case.
“His life was not without difficulties but they seemed not to be investigated.”