The body of a High Wycombe man was discovered by a dog walker at a popular park after he took his own life, an inquest heard this morning.

James Conn, 29, was found hanging at Tom Burt’s Hill near the busy Marlow Hill, early on Bank Holiday Monday, August 27.

The welder, who lived in West End Road, had been struggling to deal with a recent break-up, an inquest at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court heard on December 19.

Louise Pickering, who was walking her dog on the field at around 7am, found Mr Conn’s body hanging from a tree and immediately called 999.

When police and South Central Ambulance Service arrived at the scene, it was clear nothing could be done to save him.

In a statement read out at Mr Conn’s inquest, his mum Susan said he had broken up with his girlfriend around a month before his death and had “taken it very hard” – but said there was no indication he would take his own life.

She said: “I saw him the day before and he seemed in a fine mood. He said he was going out for a drink and made plans to come and visit again in a few weeks. He had just started a new job and was planning to get a tattoo.

“James took the break up very hard but he seemed to have come out the other side. We had no idea he was contemplating this. He knew he had our support if he needed it.”

Mr Conn’s friend, Gemma Crutchfield, said in a statement that on August 26, they had gone for a few drinks in the town centre – starting in The Antelope and O’Neill’s before heading back to The Antelope.

They went outside at around 5am and Ms Crutchfield said her friend had “become upset talking about his ex-girlfriend”.

She added: “He said I shouldn’t have told him that she was seeing someone else. I went back inside because he was shouting. He had taken the break-up very badly but seemed to be getting better.”

The next day, Ms Crutchfield went to Mr Conn’s home – only to be told he had sadly passed away. He had been declared dead by emergency services just before 8am on August 27.

DC Purewal, from Thames Valley Police Force CID, said Mr Conn’s bag, with his wallet and phone inside, was found at the scene.

There were no notes or any indication from his phone that he had been intending to take his own life and nothing to suggest any third-party involvement.

A post-mortem toxicology report found enough alcohol in his blood to cause “mild drunkenness”. A very small amount of MDMA was also found, but it was ruled that he would not have been under the influence of the drug at the time of his death.

Senior coroner for Buckinghamshire, Crispin Butler, ruled that Mr Conn’s death was suicide.

He said: “Mr Conn died as a result of hanging. He had consumed some alcohol and his death came against a background of recent relationship issues and being upset. The alcohol gave him the courage to do what he wanted to do. There were no notes but he would have been planning for this event. I believe he intended not to be found.”

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