59 year-old Victor Cuff from Gravesend in Kent, hung himself because his sickness benefits had been cut, an Inquest has heard.

Mr Cuff’s friend and neighbour, Colleen Gobel (69), told police how she had become concerned for Mr Cuff after not seeing him on 22nd May. Upon further investigation she found her neighbour dead in his bedroom.

Police were called to Mr Cuff’s ground-floor flat at 6:11pm.

Detective Sergeant James Greenidge, told the inquest that upon arrival at the flat he found Mr Cuff’s lying in his bed, and that “it appeared he hanged himself”. Detective Greenidge continued by saying: “there was evidence he was drunk”.

Colleen Gobel told police that Mr Cuff had a history of depression and was “feeling down” as a result of experiencing money troubles after his sickness benefits were reduced.

A post-mortem carried out on the body at the local hospital, discovered that Mr Cuff had been drinking heavily immediately prior to his death and that his blood alcohol level was four times over the legal drink-driving limit, which may have caused a self-induced coma.

Coroner Roger Hatch recorded a suicide verdict.

No further information is known at this time.

http://welfarenewsservice.com/depressed-man-hanged-sickness-benefits-cut-inquest-hears/