A MAN described as a “perfectionist” took his own life after becoming anxious and stressed with money worries, a coroner has ruled.

An inquest on Monday heard how Herbert Klaus Jurgen Leist, 59, was found hanged in his home in Woodlands, Chineham, on February 9 this year.

The court heard that after working for British Airways for a number a of years, Mr Leist became self-employed but began to worry about finances in December 2016. The court heard Mr Leist would take on maintenance jobs but became anxious he was not doing it “to the best of his ability”.

A statement from his wife of 36 years, Rosemary Leist, read out to Basingstoke Coroner’s Court heard on December 6, 2017, Mr Leist had tried to strangle himself.

After admitting it to his wife, “he maintained that he would not do it again and I (his wife) would start following him into the garage.”

He had been admitted to Parklands Hospital for a three-week intensive course where he was diagnosed as having moderate to severe depression, but when asked if he had ever self-harmed or had suicidal thoughts he would say no.

The court heard that on February 9, Mrs Leist had returned home to find the garage door open and her husband hanged.

A statement read to the court from Mr Lesit’s mental health care team said Mr Leist “felt that he was a burden to the family” and “felt his family would be better off without him”.

The statement added Mr Leist “suffered with low self-esteem” but was a “perfectionist, impatient and needed structure” which led him to become anxious about his finances.

The court heard how Mr Leist was “self-critical and thought what was the point in living.”

In recording a verdict of suicide, north east Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley said: “He did not see anyway out of it [his depression].

“It is significant that he was clear that he was not suicidal and he did not have those thoughts. But suicide is not a committee decision and he decided to slip away.”

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