A MENTALLY disturbed man put a sawn-off shotgun to his ex-girlfriend's face before shooting himself during a police siege.

Paul Northmore, 41, of Trent Way, Ferndown, died after turning his gun on himself while he sat in a van outside his ex-girlfriend's house, an inquest heard.

He fired the double-barrelled shotgun into his chest after a two-hour siege which involved more than 40 police officers, marksmen and negotiators.

The hearing heard Northmore had a troubled and violent relationship with former girlfriend, Kim McCloy.

Less than three weeks before the siege in June 1999, he had taken an overdose and was admitted to St Ann's hospital in Poole. He was transferred to Poole hospital after developing blood clots in his leg and chest but was discharged on June 9.

On June 18, he turned up at Ms McCloy's house in Plymouth and dragged her inside from the garden before tying her wrists to his with Sellotape. He put the shotgun under her chin and told her: "I have nothing to live for. You're going first and I'm going after you."

She told the inquest: "I really believed I was going to die."

Ms McCloy managed to calm him and persuade him to remove the tape. He went to sit in his van and she escaped through the back of the house and called the police from a neighbour's home.

Dozens of armed officers arrived and tried to talk to Mr Northmore. He made calls to his family from his mobile phone as he sat in the van.

He left a message on Ms McCloy's phone saying: "I wouldn't have killed you really. I love you. I tried to make you happy. Armed police are all around. Bye then."

Mr Northmore repeatedly asked to speak to his father and began a five-minute countdown before police heard a single shot.

A jury at the Plymouth inquest yesterday returned a majority verdict that Northmore killed himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

The inquest heard from his sister Patricia Stacey, who arrived during the stand-off but was not allowed to speak to him. At one point she had five police officers on top of her when she tried to break through the police cordon.

She told the inquest: "It appeared to me the police officers were all standing around, doing nothing, looking as if they were waiting for Paul to shoot himself and then pack up and go home for lunch. I feel badly let down."