A young man from High Wycombe spent an evening playing poker with friends before hanging himself in a town centre alleyway, an inquest heard today.

The body of Conor Collins, 22, was found by a passer-by in a “secluded” stairwell in Birdcage Walk just before 9am on Monday, July 11 after he had enjoyed a “happy and normal” night out with two friends in the town centre.

Detectives investigating the death of the bar manager, who lived in Gordon Road, found that his tragic death in the quiet alleyway had been caught on CCTV at around 2.50am that morning.

An inquest into the cause of his death at Bucks Coroner’s Court in Beaconsfield on Tuesday heard that Mr Collins, who had a history of self-harm, had won £90 at a poker night in Butlers, Frogmoor on the night of July 10.

After parting ways with his friends in the town centre in the early hours of Monday morning, he headed to the Raging Ball Club on Corporation Street, where he spent around 20 minutes playing on the slot machines.  

Detective Sergeant Michael Anderson told the court Mr Collins had appeared “frustrated” on CCTV cameras inside the club and that his behaviour “indicated that he had put in a quantity of cash and didn’t appear to be successful in his gambling”.

After leaving the club, he was captured on camera near various cash machines along the High Street, including Santander on the corner of Corporation Street, Halifax and TSB, before heading off up Amersham Hill towards the station at 2.42am.

He was then seen on CCTV cameras at the Bucks County Council building just before 2.50am taking his own life. His body was discovered in a stairwell hours later.  

DS Anderson said his friends and family thought Mr Collins had appeared “happy” that evening, although he had suffered with periods of low mood and had a history of self-harm.

Although a post-mortem found Mr Collins was twice the legal drink drive limit, with 165mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, senior coroner for Bucks, Crispin Butler, said it was "moderate" and would not have “impaired his judgement”.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, Mr Butler said: “It is very clear from the CCTV that he was alone for a period of time. The act took place at night when he wouldn’t be found and was sufficiently secluded enough to allow it to happen.

“The CCTV footage confirms that his intentions were very clear, even though he left no note or indication that he was going to do anything like that.”

  • Did you know Conor? Send your pictures and tributes to stephanie.wareham@london.newsquest.co.uk.