A FATHER-OF-12 from Blackburn killed himself after he split up with his partner, an inquest has heard.

Jason Alan Farrell, a factory worker from Aviemore Close, was found hanged in the bathroom of his home by police on July 5 this year.

Blackburn Coroner’s Court heard how the 42-year-old had posted letters to his family on the day of his death, informing them of what he was about to do.

Mr Farrell, who had 11 children and one step-son, had given no previous indication that he intended to take his own life, his mother, Dorothy Garner, told the court.

Michael Singleton, senior coroner for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, heard that Mr Farrell had separated from his partner, Yvonne, in the weeks leading up to his death.

Ms Garner, who said she was not on speaking terms with her son, said she first heard of the couple’s split when she bumped into Yvonne in a supermarket.

She told the inquest: “On July 5, I received a note from my son indicating his intention to take his own life. That was the first time I had any inclination. I got the letter and said to my daughter what an unusual letter it was.

“It was rare for him to send me anything handwritten. The last time I saw him properly was Boxing Day. I bumped into him once or twice in town.

“I saw Yvonne in Tesco and she said they were separated so I spoke to him on Facebook private messenger. I believe he would have been quite upset that they had broken up.”

Ms Garner said Mr Farrell had given up his job three weeks before his death.

A statement on behalf of PC David Todhunter revealed how he discovered Mr Farrell’s body after being made aware of a concern for his safety at around 11am on July 5.

Mr Singleton said a post-mortem examination and subsequent toxicology test showed now evidence of drugs or alcohol in Mr Farrell’s system on the morning of his death.

Concluding that Mr Farrell had killed himself, Mr Singleton said: “The mind is capable of going into a very dark place that is difficult to understand.

“This was clearly not an impetuous act, that is, the act of someone with a minor crisis. There was some planning. How it can be that someone with such a large family can bottle his problems is perhaps an indication of the deep, dark place a mind can go.”