AN ANDOVER father took his life just hours after he was released from police custody without being charged, an inquest heard.

Daniel Bingham, 38, was found in the wooded area of a field near Ox Drove, on August 12 last year.

At an inquest today (Wednesday, April 14), Winchester Coroner's Court heard that Daniel was reported missing after he failed to return from a dog walk.

Mr Bingham, who was a manager at a stairlift company, was found with severe injuries and was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. A toxicology report found no traces of alcohol or drugs in his system.

On the morning of August 11, Daniel, who had Asperges, was arrested by police officer in plain clothing for what was described as a ‘serious’ criminal offence.

He was taken to a Police Investigation Centre in Basingstoke and was eventually question after hours of waiting whilst an appropriate adult and solicitor were secured.

Daniel is thought to have become distressed during the delay and told his father that he felt ‘ridiculed’ and ‘degraded’ whilst in police custody.

Daniel was eventually released without charge but remained under investigation and Detective Sergeant Timothy Doyle confirmed that a risk assessment had been conducted before his release.

DS Doyle stated that Daniels’s solicitor had instructed him to answer no comment to both the interview and welfare assessment questions.

Coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp asked DS Doyle whether it was normal to advise no comment to welfare question.

DS Doyle responded: “No it’s not a regular thing if I am honest. Ordinarily people we ask those question to are quite happy to engage in the process.”

Daniel was then returned home by police officers at around 5pm the same day.

DS Doyle added: “Following on from our lines of enquiry ultimately we had no evidence that would have led to a criminal prosecution.”

Laura Telford, Daniels’s partner of 14 years and mother of his two children, said he came home feeling ‘distressed’ and ‘anxious’.

He had been crying which was ‘out of character’ and could not settle, at around 9pm he went to take the family dog Miles, out for a walk and was ‘adamant’ Laura could not come with him.

Laura said: “I didn’t want him to go. He wanted to go on his own. He gave me a kiss and said he loved me, at this point he wasn’t crying.”

The inquest also heard how Daniel had no previous mental health issues and had never spoken about harming or killing himself before.

Paying tribute to his son, Steven Bingham said: “Dan has always been a shy person since he was a small boy. He was concerned about what people thought about him, it meant a lot.

“He was optimistic about life and lived in the moment, thinking about the present. He adored Laura and the boys.”

“I know that Dan did not fully understand his release from police custody.”

Steven added that Daniel was ‘proud’ of his children and that he saw himself and Laura as ‘perfect for each other’.

Recording her verdict, Coroner Rhodes-Kemp said: “I don’t think given the injuries that there is any doubt that he did what he did to himself and he intended to take his own life.

“I am sure that the events of that day played a major part in that decision. I think that the most suitable conclusion is suicide.”

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