Father killed himself over debts

A father-of-two killed himself after being chased "aggressively" for months over unpaid debts, an inquest heard.

Electrician Robert McKinnie, 54, of Rosetta Drive, East Cowes, Isle of Wight, hanged himself after he was unable to pay £50,000 to major banks.

"They were aggressive, threatening calls, threatening him that he would lose his home with insolvency," said Suzanne McKinnie after the inquest.

Deputy coroner Richard Hensham recorded a verdict of suicide.

They were like sharks circling him Michael McKinnie

Mrs McKinnie said her husband had turned from being a "happy-go-lucky" man to someone who preferred to be alone and would sporadically burst into tears.

Speaking after the inquest at Newport, Mrs McKinnie described how the banks would call him up to 15 times a day, harassing him for repayment.

"And the calls are continuing now even though he's dead and now I'm facing a court case as well. It's unrelenting," she said.

Mr McKinney's brother Michael said: "It was bullying. They were like sharks circling him."

'Desperately sad'

The inquest at the Isle of Wight Coroner's Court heard that at the height of the success of the firm RAM Electricals Mr McKinnie employed 20 people but the company was at the brink of bankruptcy at the time of his death.

He was unable to pay the debts owed to banks because his clients had not paid for work he had carried out for them, the inquest heard.

Deputy coroner Hensham said to the family: "This is a desperately sad time for the whole family and I hope you will be able to stay together and console each other.

"He was a man held in deep affection by his family and I hope it is the happy-go-lucky side of his personality that will be the side you remember."