A man found dead after a series of mental health problems had told friends the health service had ‘let him down’ an inquest into his death has heard.
Ryan Sinclair died aged 39 on December 30, 2024 at his home in Gaunt Close,
Spalding.
The inquest into his death held at Lincoln Crown Court was told he had previously made attempts to take his own life, but that the drug levels found in his body were ‘not toxic’.
Instead, coroner Jayne Wilkes ruled the effects had caused ‘adverse cardiac effects leading to his death’.
Mr SInclair’s body was discovered at his home by his ex-wife, who was not named in the hearing, and by Shane Graves who had become concerned he had not heard from his friend since Christmas Day.
The inquest was told that Mr Sinclair suffered with mental health issues including schizophrenia, depression and anxiety.
Mr Graves’ evidence also said that the deceased had experienced further issues with depression since splitting up with his former wife.
Her evidence included the fact Mr Sinclair had taken an overdose two weeks earlier on December 17.
A statement from his ex-wife read out by Ms Wilkes: said: “Ryan was a loving and sensitive person.
“He had a tough exterior where he could make a joke of most things.
“He always wanted to make others laugh, and in the relationship, he was incredibly caring, thoughtful and loving.
“He had many acquaintances, but very few people he would actually consider as friends, and he was wary of trusting others.
“It’s heartbreaking he felt such desperation to do what he did.”
Ms Wilkes continued that the woman was ‘devastated’.
“He had battled with his mental health since long before she knew him. However, he’d been clean from drugs, to her knowledge, for over ten years,” she said. “He said he used drugs in the past to escape his head and his struggles.
“He’d made attempts on his life before that but not in the eight years that they were together.”
Ms Wilkes went on to say that Mr Sinclair had made a promise he would not attempt to take his life again.
“He expressed feelings of being let down by the mental health service,” she said paraphrasing the ex-wife’s statement. “He also said that he struggled to trust people.
“He’d lost his key worker suddenly and he’d had a lot of trust in them.”
The inquest heard he had been known to the mental health team in Spalding since December 2015 and had previously been sectioned.
Delivering a verdict of drug related death Ms Wilkes said: “Postmortem analysis identified both prescription and illicit drugs in his system which taken in combination would have caused adverse cardiac effects resulting in his death and on the balance of probabilities he died from the combined effects of his self administered drugs.
“I offer my sincere condolences to the friends and family.”
