A Kimpton man took his own life after being stressed out about losing his home and worrying he "couldn't be the man he wanted to be", an inquest heard. 

Thomas Cairns McGougan, of Deacon Road, was found deceased on February 18, 2020 at his home by his partner and a friend.

Winchester Coroners’ Court heard that Tom “was very stressed about life” following legal and financial difficulties, and had rated his mood at one out of ten, one being the lowest, the day before he died.

Area coroner Jason Pegg said that while it was “quite clear” Tom was seeking assistance, “he had a number of stresses going on in his life” which contributed towards his “low mood” including facing eviction of his home. 

Tom had faced a number of difficulties over recent years, including the death of his father and a stillbirth.

His partner said that the 58-year-old had started using heroin after 16 years clean in 2019, and later that year, they were informed they were facing the prospect of eviction from their home.

Tom’s brother Barrie said that Tom had used drugs since he was 17, and that the substances had “killed our family". He said that he had not spoken with his brother for the past 10 years following the death of their mother.

Tom had sought help with Inclusion Andover, which helps those struggling with addiction, three times previously, and on February 17, he and Lisa attended the service for a screening assessment.

A family member who didn't wish to be named said Tom was not using heroin at the time of his death and was using prescription drugs.

They told The Advertiser he was "trying" hard to overcome his problems but facing eviction and was concerned about losing his home. 

Anne Johnson, Team Leader at Inclusion Andover, said that Tom had asked for a prescribing intervention of methadone, an opioid used to help treat heroin addiction. She said he had “many years of stability” with buprenorphine, another opioid, but as his health conditions had increased, “he became more chaotic”.

“He enjoyed a period of years where he was stable,” said Anne. “Tom was a man who saw himself as being able to fix things, and a lot of the capacity that he had was eroded by his health.

“He was finding it difficult to adjust and couldn’t be the man he wanted to be.”

She said that Tom’s was a “complex” case due to the number of medications he was prescribed for his ailments, including an enlarged heart, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and back pain. At the centre, he rated his mood a one out of ten, one being the lowest, and his physical health as zero.

Following Tom’s visit to the centre, his case was considered by an allocation meeting the following morning, shortly before they learned he had passed away.

After his visit, Tom and his partner went shopping before heading home. Having missed the final bus to Kimpton, they were forced to catch the Activ8 bus and walk from the A342, leaving them “breathless and sweating” on their return home. His partner then went to sleep.

Later that evening, their friend Rob Morell, who was staying at the house, said he heard Tom on the bathroom floor around midnight, where he believed him to be under the influence of drugs. Rob took him to his bed, where he was placed on his right side. He later heard Tom shout for his partner during the night.

The next morning, February 18, Rob entered the bedroom to ask Tom's partner for a cigarette, which woke her up. She said that Tom was lying on his front and was “cold to the touch”, and got Rob to call an ambulance as he was not breathing. Paramedics attempted resuscitation but were unable to revive him.

In a statement from Tom's partner read to the inquest, she said that Tom had told her several times that “he wanted to be dead,” and had previously said he would kill himself with heroin.

A post-mortem examination found that Tom had a cocktail of compounds in his blood, including prescription drugs and morphine.

None of these were found to be at fatal levels, but the pathologist said that the effects of these drugs on the central nervous system “could be exacerbated” when used in combination.

The cause of death was given as respiratory depression, caused by drug toxicity.

Giving his verdict, the coroner said that while it was “quite clear he was seeking assistance”, Tom had a “very low mood” and “had a number of stresses going on in his life”.

He said that given the statements made and Tom’s history of drug use, that on the balance of probability, “it seems to me he knew the combined effect would result in toxicity.”

A verdict of suicide was declared.

Speaking after the inquest, a family member said: "He loved his family very much. He had a lot happening in his life."

Anyone who is struggling can call Samaritans for free on 116 123, or visit their website here to find other ways to get in touch: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/