A father described as “kind and generous” took his own life after losing his job after raising concerns about ‘stressful conditions’ at SSE, an inquest has heard.

David Richard Bignell complained to his GP that he was refused annual leave and was working longer hours than he was paid for, Portsmouth Coroner’s Court was told.

The father was sacked in 2019 by the company which caused anxiety and financial pressures on his family, it emerged at an inquest on Tuesday (February 16).

David was found dead on September 12, 2020, after leaving his family home in Andover and not responding to calls to his phone.

Remembering her husband at the inquest, David’s wife said he was a “loving and very caring man” who brought “a lot of joy”.

The inquest into David’s death was held at Portsmouth Coroner’s Court, where senior coroner Christopher Wilkinson investigated the circumstances which lead to his passing away.

David was born in 1967, and had been married to his wife for 17 years. He had worked at SSE, but had raised concerns with his GP over ‘stressful’ conditions at the company.

Dr Malcolm Stone, of St Mary’s Surgery, said that David had consulted relating to stress at work, where he said he was “working longer than he was paid for” and being “refused annual leave”.

He was signed off work for stress, and later consulted with his GP again where he raised concerns over “being sidelined”.

He lost his job at the company in 2019, and was subsequently involved in an employment tribunal that “caused a lot of stress”.

The coroner said that David losing his job had increased the financial pressures on the family “significantly” and was causing him anxiety.

The court heard that concerns had been raised about his physical health after a number of collapses in the weeks leading up to his death. Having previously been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which obstructs air flow to the lungs, and having suffered with asthma, David was advised to see a doctor, but wouldn’t go.

“I was concerned about his breathing but he wouldn’t go to the doctors,” his wife told the court. “His mother died of a brain tumour 17 years ago and he always had a fear of being a burden to me. I don’t know if he got scared.”

On the evening of September 12, David was pronounced dead after being found in the family's garage.  

A post-mortem subsequently concluded the cause of death by hanging. 

Speaking to the court, David’s wife said that he was a “very reserved man” who was “always wanting to fix things”. She said that she felt that “he couldn’t cope” following the stress he was put under.

The coroner concurred, saying that he believed that David losing his job, as well as concerns about his personal health “all add up to him feeling very lost and feeling like a burden”.

“I believe that accumulated and the events on September 12 were a catalyst that brought him to a head.”

He said that in his view, it was “a very spontaneous act of desperation that David has undertaken”.

Addressing David’s wife, the coroner described David as an “open and supportive partner and father,” adding that it was clear he “had a big heart and was a kind and generous person.”

Making his verdict, the coroner said that he believed David’s death was as a result of self-harm, and a verdict of suicide was declared.

SSE was contacted for comment.

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