Tragic dad's suicide research on internet

A DOTING dad researched suicide methods on the internet before hanging himself in woodland, an inquest heard.

Engineer Mark Holland went missing after setting off for work on his bike and was found dead by a walker four days later.

His devastated fiancee Victoria Lodge said there was no indication that Mark (31) planned to take his own life.

She said: “I assumed he had left as normal. When he didn’t return I texted one of his work colleagues, who said Mark had not been to work that day.

“He was generally happy at work up until the last few months, when he complained that people there called him stupid.”

Mark, of Grange View Road, Kimberworth, met Victoria nearly ten years ago and had a son, Brandon (5).

After suffering from illness Mark began looking into cancer on the internet, she added, even though tests had been negative.

Det Sgt Nikki Leach said the initial concern was that Mark might have had an accident.

Police took his laptop when they became worried he might have tried to self-harm, Rotherham Coroner’s Court heard on Wednesday.

Ds Leach said: “Mark had looked on search engines, researching how many sleeping pills it would take to die and how far he would have to fall to die.”

Walker Thomas Jones spotted Mark’s body in trees across a service bridge near the Blackburn Water Treatment plant on January 7.

Mr Jones spotted the same figure again as he returned three hours later.

Mark was found with cash, an MP3 player, cycling equipment and his rucksack was weighed down with housebricks.

GP Dr Alan Forrester said Mark had been referred to a psychiatrist in 1999 after a cut to his throat, but there was no mention in notes of it being self-induced.

Deputy Coroner Mr Mark Beresford recorded a verdict of suicide.

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