Man 'decided to take his own life' (From Witney Gazette)

Man 'decided to take his own life'

9:00am Wednesday 11th October 2006 in Witney By Phil Vinter

A MAN bled to death after cutting himself with a Swiss Army knife, a coroner heard last week.

David Langford, 69, of Wroslyn Road, Freeland, was found lying dead in a chair in his home on February 8, with serious wounds to both of his legs and superficial cuts on his wrists.

An empty bottle of vodka and both half-used and empty packets of paracetamol were also found in the vicinity.

Oxfordshire coroner, Nicholas Gardiner, was told by consultant pathologist Dr Elizabeth Soilleux that the most serious wound had gone through a vein in Mr Langford's left lower leg, which she believed had gone through a vein.

The post-mortem examination also found 18mg per litre of paracetamol in the blood system, but Dr Soilleux said this was within the normal dosage range. She gave the cause of death of death as exanguanation, or profuse bleeding.

She told the court: "I think that is the most likely cause of death.

"While the paracetamol level is within the therapeutic range, that does not exclude there being a previous overdose, with the range dropping into the therapeutic range at the time of death.

"It is quite possible he could have been there for a day or so. It is not very likely he would have been there longer."

Mr Langford had no mental health problems, but had suffered from medical conditions, including breathlessness and varicose veins in the past, his brother Ivan said.

A suicide note was found in the house, but it was not read out during the inquest.

Mr Langford's brother, also of Wroslyn Road, said Mr Langford had never spoken about taking his own life.

He added: "In his diaries, that we have since read, he said he had chest pains.

"We wondered whether it was because of pain that he had drunk vodka and taken paracetamol, but if he inflicted a knife wound, I don't know. Whether his leg was giving him pain, I don't know."

Mr Gardiner concluded: "Although it is largely of a circumstantial nature, I can only conclude that Mr Langford decided to take his own life."