Teacher's hotel bathroom suicide

The hotel was near to the city's busy St Mary's Street

A teacher suffocated in a hotel bathroom while police searched for him after he had called them to say he was going to kill himself, an inquest has heard.

The body of father-of-two Ronald Coomber, 58, from Wooton Bassett near Swindon, was eventually found dead by officers in a fifth floor room of Cardiff's Holiday Inn.

Cardiff Coroner's Court heard that Mr Coomber was discovered with a bin - lined with a polythene bag - still covering his head - close by were empty paracetamol boxes, a half-empty bottle of vodka and photographs of his children.

The hearing was told that Mr Coomber had phoned Wiltshire Police the previous evening saying he wanted to take his own life but did not say where he was.

Police sergeant Gavin Smith told the inquest how officers scoured the city for him after it was discovered that he had used his mobile phone in the Cardiff area.

But officers did not trace him to his hotel room until he wrote to his wife Linda using Holiday Inn notepaper, saying he planned to kill himself.

He understood the outcome of his actions and the only appropriate conclusion I can reach is that he killed himself

Coroner Dr Lawrence Addicott

By the time police broke into Mr Coomber's room in Cardiff city centre's Holiday Inn, he was dead.

Mr Smith told the hearing how Mr Coomber had left his home as usual the morning before he died.

He said: "Linda saw Ronald leave for work just after 0900 BST, but later he rang his son to tell him to go home and be with his mother, and to look after her.

"At about 1900 BST that night a man called Ronald Coomber rang Wiltshire Police to say he wanted to take his own life.

"The police also received calls from Linda to report her husband missing and so there was great concern for him."

'Stay out'

Mr Smith added: "We went to the hotel and found Ronald had booked into a fifth floor room the previous afternoon. "There were three notes stuck to the bathroom door - saying "Call police first," "Stay out - warning" and giving details of Ronald's name, address and next of kin."

Mr Coomber was found dead in the bath.

He had placed a plastic bin over his head and suffocated when the oxygen inside ran out.

A post mortem examination revealed the cause of death was asphyxiation.

Cardiff Coroner Dr Lawrence Addicott recorded a verdict of suicide.

He told the court: "Ronald's intent was clear from the letters he wrote.

"He understood the outcome of his actions and the only appropriate conclusion I can reach is that he killed himself."