Dad-to-two took his own life - inquest
A FATHER-OF-TWO suffering from depression took his own life six weeks after splitting up from his long-term partner, an inquest heard.
Alex Butterworth, 33, was found by his mum Christine Kotylo hanged at his house on Osborne Terrace in Rawtenstall on March 13 this year.
Burnley Coroners Court heard how he took the break-up with Clarissa Taylor ‘badly’, his behaviour was ‘very up and down’ and he had made threats to kill himself.
A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was hanging.
Coroner Richard Taylor said there was also a small amount of alcohol in his system and ‘some use of cocaine at some stage prior to his death’ but ‘nothing of a significant amount’.
The inquest heard how Mr Butterworth, who worked with his dad as sales manager at Glen Castings in Bacup, had been prescribed antidepressants six days before his death.
His mum Christine told the hearing: “He requested to have an appointment with a psychiatrist but that came through the day after he died. We called out the mental health team because it was obvious he was going downhill. What he did when they came out was he flipped and said ‘I’m fine’ but he wasn’t fine underneath. He wasn’t fine obviously. What happens shows that.
“I now know on March 12 he visited everybody. My mother, my sister, his father.”
The inquest was told how the keen rugby player, who played hooker for Rossendale Rugby Club as a youngster from the age of eight, had separated from partner of five years Clarissa six weeks before his death.
Following the break-up his behaviour ‘got worse’ and he sent her texts making comments about taking his life’, the inquest heard. Clarissa said: “He had done this a lot of times before, ringing me and saying things of a similar nature.”
The inquest heard how Mr Butterworth contacted her to say he had ‘done something stupid’ and had tried to hang himself at his father’s factory.
On another occasion she found him in the bedroom of their house trying to take his own life.
Recording a conclusion of suicide, Coroner Richard Taylor said: “Families often think ‘what if?’.
“But generally when somebody’s mind has been made up there’s nothing at all that can be done.”