An Innospec research manager took his own life in his laboratory at the Ellesmere Port manufacturing site, an inquest has heard.

Anthony Cooney, of The Hamlets in Hough Green, Chester, was found dead at his place of work on January 12 this year – two days after leaving the family home.

An inquest at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday (May 12) heard that the 51-year-old had killed himself using an elaborate method.

His wife Cathryn Cooney told the hearing she had moved out of their house on January 1, 2015.

She said of their separation: “I would not say it was acrimonious at all, I would not even call it stressed. I just felt I needed a bit of space.”

But Mrs Cooney, a pensions manager, added they were still in touch on the telephone. She said that her husband liked his job and had no health issues that she was aware of.

Mr Cooney left home in his daughter’s car on the morning of January 10.

The alarm was raised on January 11 when Mrs Cooney received a phone call from her son saying he had not seen his dad and he had not returned.

Mrs Cooney said she sought advice from her sister, who is a police officer in Kent.

On her advice, she called 101 and was told to text Mr Cooney telling him that if she or their children did not hear from him within the hour then she would report him missing to the police, which she did.

Police began searching for Mr Cooney that night.

Innospec security administrator Mavis Hardy told the hearing that Mr Cooney turned up on Saturday and asked her to unlock the building he worked in.

She said he seemed his normal self and that it was not unusual for employees to come to work on a Saturday.

The inquest also heard from PC Michael Wakeling who said he came on duty on the morning of January 12 to a report of a high risk missing person.

“Because of the nature of Mr Cooney’s disappearance, we believed he was going to harm himself,” he said.

As Mr Cooney’s daughter’s car had been found at Innospec on Oil Sites Road, PC Wakeling attended.

He found Mr Cooney’s office was empty but that the door to his laboratory was locked from the inside.

He kicked the door down to find Mr Cooney lying on the floor.

Paramedics pronounced Mr Cooney dead at the scene.

The pathology report concluded that his cause of death was asphyxia.

Assistant coroner for Cheshire Dr Janet Napier recorded a conclusion that Mr Cooney took his life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

Offering her condolences to Mr Cooney’s family, she said: “It is a very sad state of affairs.”