Penwortham business manager deeply troubled by Lancashire Police investigation was found dead at home
A business manager deeply troubled by allegations made against him took his own life, an inquest was told.
Lancashire area coroner Kate Bissett probed the moments leading up to the tragic moment Richard Lee Adamson, of Cop Lane, Penwortham was found hanged in his garage at home.
Preston Coroner's Court heard that the allegations - the nature of which were not revealed - were investigated by police.
A family member told the coroner in a statement that the allegations had had a major impact on 41-year-old Mr Adamson's life.
The husband and father was a religious man who had lost a lot of weight through his love for running.
But his mental health had been low in the recent past.
Mr Adamson was deceased in August 2025. There were no suspicious circumstances.
The inquest was told that Mr Adamson had had regular contact with mental health services since 2024. He had been treated as an in-patient and after being discharged was seen regularly by support workers.
On occasions Mr Adamson said he was having suicidal thoughts and at one point had made an attempt to take his own life. In January 2025 he was discharged by the home treatment team after saying he felt better and was having no suicidal thoughts.
He was on the waiting list for depression counselling.
Det Insp Steve Monk told the inquest that concerns about Mr Adamson were raised in August 2025 by a friend who had received an email from him.
Mr Adamson was found hanged inside his locked garage. Inside the house letters and a will were found.
Thecoroner rcorded the cause of death as hanging.
Asked by the coroner whether welfare checks were carried out on people like Mr Adamson after a police investigation concluded, Det Insp Monk said they were carried out by other agencies and police themselves.
Det Insp Monk said after the investigation ended, the officer involved was concerned about Mr Adamson's mental health and acted accordingly.
The inquest heard that a review had been carried out into Mr Adamson's contact with mental health services and a number of changes had been made in procedures.
Recording a suicide conclusion on Mr Adamson, coroner Ms Bissett said "This is an awful tragedy."
She said she felt sure that he intended to end his own life.