A FATHER of two from Blaenau Gwent who killed himself earlier this year had tried to take his own life twice before, an inquest heard.

Shane Coles, aged 26, was found dead in his home in Gwynberthi Road, Abertillery, on October 18.

He had hanged himself from the landing overlooking the stairs.

Yesterday, at Newport coroners court, deputy coroner Wendy James concluded that Mr Coles killed himself while depressed.

The court was told that the week before he died Coles crashed his car on purpose and took an overdose of temazepam following a row with his girlfriend. Mr Coles' mother, Susan Keech, told the inquest the death of his grandfather when her son was 11 had a profound effect on him.

He later fell into drugs and petty crime, Mrs Keech told the court. "I think he was smoking cannabis from the age of 16, and he became addicted to temazepam and valium."

Mr Coles spent seven months in prison in 1998, and was later treated for depression in Ebbw Vale and Talygarn hospital, in Pontypool.

But he put his life back together and began working as a cutter for Medallion, in Abertillery.

Mr Coles became depressed earlier this year after parting from his girlfriend, Kelly Harwood. The couple had been together for nine years, and had two small children.

Mrs Keech told the court the break-up had affected Mr Coles badly, and on October 14 he crashed his car.

She said: "It was a deliberate effort to kill himself. He told me he wished he was dead. Then he took an overdose of temazepam, and kept saying 'life isn't worth living'.

"He was going through such a difficult time, he just wanted to get back together with Kelly."

Kelly Harwood, 24, told the inquest she had put his depression down to drugs. "He had threatened to kill himself before," she said. "One time we had an argument and he played a prank on me. I came back to the house and found him dangling from the loft. He was trying to make me think he had killed himself."

On October 18 she visited Mr Coles after she couldn't reach him by phone, and found him hanging from the banister.

A post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Geraint Evans, consultant pathologist at Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, found he had died as a result of extreme pressure on the neck.

Summing up, deputy coroner Wendy James said: "It is all too apparent that Shane was suffering severe mood swings as a result of his drug addiction.

"The separation led to him becoming more depressed."

Verdict: Killed himself while depressed