A teacher in the grip of an alcohol addiction tragically hanged himself inside his car on an M53 slip road just days after requesting professional help ‘that never arrived’, an inquest has heard.

Christopher Green, of Lea-by-Backford, was discovered dead on the motorway’s southbound exit at junction 12 in Hoole on September 25, 2016.

The 44-year-old dad had struggled with anxiety and depression for many years and made several attempts to take his own life back when he was 18 and again in 2008.

An inquest into his death held at Chester Magistrates Court on Thursday (February 23) heard that he was latterly dogged by alcohol abuse for almost a decade and suffered a relapse just weeks before the tragic events of September 25 last year.

Recalling that afternoon, eye-witness Mandy Taylor tearfully said she was driving to Toby Carvery in Hoole with her family when she spotted a Rover hatchback which appeared to be parked but then began jerking backwards and forwards.

She slowed and saw Mr Green as she manoeuvred her car past.

By looking in her rear view mirror she then saw his car shoot across from one side of the road to the other and into a hedge.

She instructed her son to call the emergency services immediately.

PC James Wright was the first officer to arrive, and he told the inquest he was flagged down by another motorist who had spotted a car down a grass embankment.

Sadly, PC Wright received no response from Mr Green and he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

'Warm and bubbly'

A statement from Mr Green’s father Geoffrey Green was read aloud to the court in which he described his son as a ‘warm, bubbly and cheeky character and always a joker’.

He revealed Mr Green struggled with alcohol addiction which in turn made him feel embarrassed because of his roles as a respected professional and as a father.

Having completed a home detox programme with the help of his GP and the alcohol liaison service at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Mr Green was sober for around nine months but relapsed about a month before his death.

David Howells, an alcohol liaison practitioner at the Countess, said Mr Green first went to the hospital to request help for alcohol dependence in November 2015.

He said: “Although teaching was one of his passions, it seemed to cause him a great deal of stress.

“Chris was very ashamed and felt a lot of guilt around the effect his dependency was having on his family.”

The inquiry heard that Mr Green telephoned the service on September 20 – five days before he committed suicide – to ask for support after he started drinking again.

Mr Howells said the team discussed how they could assist him, but on reflection the home support he wanted could have taken place within that period.

“In hindsight, given that he had relapsed and lost his job and split up with his partner I would have gone to see him at home to provide that support prior to Turning Point’s involvement,” he said.

He added that they have now established a fast track access route for people who find themselves in Mr Green’s situation.

A toxicology report revealed that Mr Green had cocaine in his bloodstream when he died, while a post-mortem examination conducted by Dr Jackie Elder determined that the cause of death – which was most likely instantaneous – was hanging.

'Missed opportunity'

Assistant coroner for Cheshire Jean Harkin recorded a narrative conclusion that Mr Green died as a result of suicide against a background of alcohol and mental health issues rendering him unable to work.

“Hopefully we can learn from Chris’ death,” she said.

“Sadly at his low point on September 20, it appears that he was waiting for some support that never arrived.

“In hindsight we recognise that a home visit should have been made because that it what was requested and expected.

“We have no evidence that this would have made a difference but nevertheless it is a missed opportunity.

“But the service have themselves recognised that omission and I am satisfied that follow-up measures are now in place.”