A POOLE councillor was found dead in his house on what he described in a note to his family as “D-Day”, just months after splitting from his wife.

Canford Heath ward councillor Peter Parrish, 77, died on July 20, last year.

An inquest at Bournemouth Town Hall yesterday heard police were called to Mr Parrish’s home in Cogdeane Road, after he had sent a voicemail to his wife saying he was going to commit suicide. Officers forced entry and found him hanging in the hallway.

A note left by Mr Parrish read: “I did tell you without you there, there is no life for me, I could only do six months then D-Day, I will always wait for my Tan (wife) the other side.”

Mr Parrish’s daughter, Brenda, said her father would try calling her mother, using different mobile numbers.

In May, Brenda went to Mr Parrish’s house to find blood on the floor and over the kitchen units after the councillor had cut his wrists.

Mr Parrish was hospitalised and Dr John Stephens assessed him, determining he was in a “high risk of suicide” because of his age and situation.

Concerns were raised about whether he could have been better assessed in a private room at Poole Hospital, rather than a ward of other patients, which would be escalated to the relevant people at the Dorset Healthcare Trust.

Dr Stephens said he could properly assess Mr Parrish in the hour and a half he spent with him.

The Liberal Democrat councillor was discharged and had follow up calls with community mental health nurse Anthony Pangborn who assessed he was “stressed” after breaching a non-molestation order by contacting his wife and was feeling isolated, but was “looking forward to the future”.

A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was hanging.

Assistant coroner Debbie Rookes said: “He had felt isolated, his marriage had broken down, problems of cognition and a history of family suicide. He left several notes which referred to ‘D-Day’ and not wanting to live without (his wife).

“On the evidence, I am satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that it was Mr Parrish’s intention to take his own life, I therefore record a conclusion of suicide.”

After his death the then BCP council leader Vikki Slade said: “Although Pete had only been a councillor since May 2019, he had been a valued member of the community for much longer, getting involved in many local activities and events.”

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