A HEREFORDSHIRE man with a severe sleeping disorder killed himself in a quiet country lay-by, an inquest ruled.

Jason Price, who suffered from sleep apnoea, connected a vacuum hose to the exhaust pipe of his white transit van and breathed in the lethal fumes at the roadside near Kingsthorne.

At an inquest, coroner David Halpern said that although the 35-year-old did not leave a suicide note, his intentions were obvious.

"Mr Price paid a lot of care and attention to ensure the hose fitted into the exhaust and to make the vehicle air tight. We can be fairly sure he knew what he was doing," he said.

Mr Price left his Little Dewchurch home at 8.30pm on March 19, after an argument with his wife, Tracy. It was the last time anyone saw or spoke to him.

At 9.50pm, Mr Price sent a text message to his wife, which she deleted without reading. At 11.59pm, Mr Price tried unsuccessfully to call Tracy, who was asleep.

Nothing more is known about Mr Price's movements and he was certified dead by Hereford paramedic Colin Thomas at 8.30am the following morning.

Hereford pathologist Dr Frank McGinty, confirmed Mr Price died as a direct cause of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Disbelief

Despite evidence from medics and the police, family and friends refused to believe Mr Price really wanted to take his own life.

"I think it was a cry for help. I really don't think he wanted to kill himself. He could have gone to much quieter places if he really wanted to do that. I think he wanted someone to find him there," explained business partner, Philip Andrews.

Mr Andrews said the stress caused by the sleeping disorder was the real reason behind Mr Price's sad death.

"When we worked together doing house clearances, he would fall asleep all the time. Whether he was standing up, talking to people or even lighting a cigarette. He really loved his wife, and although they did have the odd argument, it was all brought on by the sleeping illness," he added.

Although the family claimed Mr Price could have fallen asleep prematurely and not had the chance to turn off the ignition and save himself, medical evidence suggests this was untrue.

Hereford respiratory consultant Philip Ryan said: "The coughing and spluttering caused by the toxic fumes would have woken him from his sleep and given him the chance to turn the engine off."

In recording his verdict that Mr Price took his own life, coroner David Halpern said Mr Price had sufficient time to prevent his own death.

"Whether or not something happened which stopped him from being able to save his life we will never know. But at the time Mr Price sat in his van, he intended to take his life," he added.