A BUSINESS man from Stroud committed suicide in his brother's barn, an inquest has heard.

Richard John Ireland, 51, who spent most of his working life in the Stroud area, had began to suffer from high blood pressure and depression about five years ago and on January 22 this year he was found hanging in the barn at an address in Bettisfield.

Joanne Lees, Assistant Coroner for North East Wales, told the hearing at Ruthin Coroner's Court that Mr Ireland had been a Plant Mechanic, before spending time as a Civil Engineer and a Property Developer.

Ms Lees also told the hearing how Mr Ireland had been spending time at his mother's address in Ellesmere, Shropshire and according to his son, Rory Thomas, whose statement she read out in court, had not been himself for some time and in recent months had not been easy to reason with.

Mr Ireland had stopped working in November last year and in the week before his death had visited his son and apologised "for everything".

Mr Thomas said his Dad had been "a happy person, who would do anything" and who had lots of friends who had been shocked and saddened by his death and recalled one of his fondest memories of him was when he taught him to drive a digger.

The inquest also heard a statement from Mr Ireland's brother Jason, who had spent time with him the weekend before he died and although he had seemed stressed about business and the two properties he owned, had demonstrated nothing to suggest concern and had seemed in a positive frame of mind by the end of the weekend.

On the morning of Tuesday, January 22, Mr Ireland had woken up, washed and dressed and told his mother, who he was living with at the time, that he was going to his brother's house to use the internet.

At around 4pm that day, his brother returned to his home after concerns had been raised by their mother, to find Mr Ireland's pick up truck in the yard. Following a short search of the house and the grounds, Mr Ireland was found in a barn, hanging from one of the rafters, with a set of metal steps located nearby.

Despite cutting his brother down and attempting CPR, Mr Ireland was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics soon after.

Reaching a conclusion of suicide, Ms Lees offered her condolences to the family, who were not present at the hearing, and said the matter was "a very sad case" and despite the fact no note was left, suicide was more likely than not due to the history of depression and presence of a step ladder nearby.