A Swansea dad who killed himself started suffering with mental health problems after being given steroids for pneumonia, an inquest has heard.
Graeme Neal Sears - who grew up in Warrington but was living in the Sketty area at the time of his death - was found hanged in his garage on November 8, 2018.
The inquest, held at Swansea 's Coroners Court on Monday, heard that the 38-year-old moved to Cardiff to study to become a dental technician. While studying at Cardiff University , he met his wife Hannah, with whom he moved to Swansea.
Reading out his report in court, South Wales Police officer PC Hyett-Ferrier said: "They enjoyed a happy marriage and had two children together, born in 2012 and 2015.
"He was a good, patient father."
Mr Sears worked as a dental technician for a while before retraining and starting his own business as an electrician. However, the inquest heard that, in 2013, he started to suffer with mental health problems after being prescribed steroids when contracting pneumonia.
He became very confused and struggled with reality, ending up being admitted to Cefn Coed Hospital - a mental health facility in the Cockett area - and being diagnosed with acute steroid psychosis.
Following his father's death in February 2018, his mental health issues started to resurface again, Mr Hyett-Ferrier continued. He went to see his GP, who prescribed him antidepressants, but around three weeks before his death he stopped taking them as he said he was feeling a lot better.
On the day of his death, Mr Sears was due to carry out a job with his apprentice.
"He said he would not be working that day, but she [his wife] wasn't aware of that," he continued.
"There was no answer when they tried to contact him, but they said that was not unusual."
Mr Sears was found hanged in the garage after his wife returned from picking the children up from school, the inquest heard. Emergency services were called and CPR was carried out on him, but he was pronounced dead at 4.21pm.
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Police were called to the address and no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death were found, Mr Hyett-Ferrier concluded.
During the post-mortem examination, the cause of death was established as hanging, acting senior coroner Colin Phillips said, adding that therapeutic levels of antidepressant Citalopram were detected in his system.
"There is nothing to suggest that drugs or alcohol played a part in his death," Mr Phillips added. "There is no evidence of trauma, suggesting third party involvement to his death."
The inquest heard that, during a recent assessment by a psychiatric nurse, he was found not to be psychotic and not actively suicidal, not requiring to be admitted to hospital. During that assessment, he was offered to see a psychiatrist for a review which he declined.
In the GP report, it showed matters were improving, the coroner said, adding that there was nothing that could have alerted his actions.
Ruling a conclusion of suicide, the coroner continued: "I have heard that he was a wonderful husband and father.
"Sadly, he had a history of mental health issues but, on the surface, these were being addressed and matters were improving.
"His actions came as a surprise for everyone in the family."
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