A KIDDERMINSTER man killed himself at his family home on the day he was due to speak to police about a text message he had supposedly sent to a 14-year-old girl.

Craig Shell was found hanged in an attic bedroom at his Wood Street home by his wife Lisa on the evening of December 28 last year, an inquest into his death heard.

Mr Shell, who had a “depressive personality”, was due to speak to police about the text he had sent to his friend’s daughter, at about 8pm that evening but killed himself before the meeting took place.

The 27-year-old chef had rung Mrs Shell at about 7pm that day to ask her to attend the police station with him but when she arrived home 45 minutes later with their son the lights were out.

“Because the house was empty and the lights were off I presumed he had gone to the police station thinking I wasn’t going to be back in time,” Mrs Shell told the inquest at Stourport.

“Me and my son were watching a bit of telly. I went up to the toilet and saw his coat was on the bannister and thought it was a bit strange.”

She added she went up to the attic room to see if he was there and found him hanged.

The inquest heard that Mr Shell, who had left a suicide note, sometimes became “very depressed” and “didn’t want to face the world”.

He had taken an overdose in May last year but Mrs Shell said he “seemed okay” after he received help.

She added he was anxious about the meeting with officers as he had been in trouble with the police before but had told her it was nothing to worry about.

Worcestershire coroner Geraint Williams recorded a verdict that Mr Shell killed himself.

He said: “Mr Shell was a man of depressive personality. He was anxious about the police wanting to speak to him.”

He added he had seen the note which Mr Shell had left which indicated “the intention to end his life”.