A man from Chesham took his own life after “having had enough of his circumstances”, an inquest heard this week.

Paul Worthington, 50, was found hanging at home in Blackwell Hall Lane in his bathroom after his friends became worried when they had not heard from him in a week.

Mr Worthington’s landlady, Annabel Briggs, said in a statement read out to Beaconsfield Coroner’s Court that Mr Worthington was a “bit of a recluse” and “kept himself to himself”.

Mrs Briggs, who lived on the same land Mr Worthington did and had known him for around 18 years, said she had last seen him 10 days previously in his kitchen and had assumed he was cooking dinner.

She said: “He was an ideal tenant.”

On March 27, Mrs Briggs was at home when there was a knock on her door. Mr Worthington’s friend and work colleague, David Beaumont, had come looking for him, saying he had not heard from him in a week, which was “unusual”.

Mrs Briggs took Mr Beaumont to Mr Worthington’s house, where they shouted for him – but there was no answer.

She then went back to her house to get the spare key for Mr Worthington’s house and the pair went in to check if he was home.

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Mr Beaumont checked both bedrooms upstairs and did not find any sign of his friend, the court heard.

He went back outside, where Mrs Briggs’ husband, David Briggs, asked if they had checked the bathroom. Mr Beaumont said he felt bad about going into Mr Worthington’s personal space so Mrs Briggs offered to check.

Mrs Briggs said: “When I opened the bathroom door, I immediately saw him hanging.

“I remember calling the police and saying something like ‘he’s hung himself’.”

In his statement read out to the court, Mr Beaumont said he had known Mr Worthington for around 15 years as they both worked as IT contractors.

He said he last spoke to Mr Worthington on the phone on March 13 when he suggested they go for a walk sometime over the weekend.

During that call, Mr Worthington told Mr Beaumont he thought he was developing symptoms of Covid and that they should reschedule their walk.

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Mr Beaumont then texted Mr Worthington a few days later asking what his test result was, and heard nothing back.

Becoming worried, he went to see Mr Worthington at his house on March 27 where he met Mrs Briggs and they found Mr Worthington.

Mr Beaumont added: “Paul and I met in 2005 when we were IT contractors.

“He never expressed anything about ending his life, but he was a guarded person.

“He didn’t seem to have any obvious issues.”

Me Beaumont said Mr Worthington had told him earlier this year that the “whole situation” – which he took to mean a failed project the pair had been a part of, and Covid, was “beginning to get to him a little”.

He added he did not expect what he eventually found, saying: “If we had been working through the Covid period, this wouldn’t have happened, I’m sure of that.”

The pair had been part of a big work project in 2019 which was suddenly terminated, with Mr Beaumont saying they “both felt mistreated” by the “shock termination” and felt perhaps it could have been a trigger for Mr Worthington.

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The youngest of six children, Mr Worthington gave his family “no indication he was depressed or in any way unhappy,” his sister Barbara McDonald said in a statement read out to the court.

She added: “He will be greatly missed.”

The inquest also heard that evidence indicated he may have had under £5,000 in his account and his rent of around £25,000 appeared to be due in May 2021.

Senior coroner Crispin Butler recorded a conclusion of suicide, saying: “His circumstances indicated to me he had had enough. It’s very, very sad.

“It is clear with what he has constructed here that he intended to take his own life.

“It is very sad that his life ended this way.

“He was so helpful to so many people but felt he couldn’t reach out to his friends and family in his time of need.”

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