A Jewish deli owner hanged himself the day after two of his shops were stripped of their licences after being accused of supplying non-kosher meat.

Robert Kaye had been tailed back to Gough's Deli, which he owned in Prestwich, by three rabbis and made to climb a ladder to paint over a sign indicating that the shop sold kosher products.

Roseman's Deli in Liverpool, which Mr Kaye had owned for more than a decade, was also stripped of its licence by Jewish authorities.

Mr Kaye's partner told today's hearing at Rochdale Coroner's that he had been left 'completely broken' by the decisions.

He was found dead at his home in Hollins, Bury, the following morning.

The inquest heard that Mr Kaye, who was described as a 'strong, proud man', had also been 'tortured' by health issues in the lead up to his death on June 18 of last year.

He was suffering with multiple sclerosis, which had been hampering his day-to-day life, and had been diagnosed with depression a year earlier.

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Accusations were first made against Mr Kaye, 43, after a member of staff at Gough's, in Bury Old Road, refused to accept a delivery of liver which did not appear to be kosher. The order was destined for Roseman's.

Mr Kaye was asked to meet with Manchester Beth Din, an organisation which regulates Jewish religious laws, to offer an explanation.

At first, he told them the order was meant for another Robert Kaye, who worked at Bolton Market.

But when the product supplier was contacted, they confirmed they had been delivering non-kosher meat to Roseman's for the last seven years.

At this point, Mr Kaye changed his excuse and claimed the produce was destined for a non-kosher catering business he was running alongside the deli.

An investigation into both businesses was launched by the Beth Din, in conjunction with its Liverpool counterpart.

His partner, Kathryn Davies, told the inquest that Mr Kaye's stress levels then 'went through the roof'.

The inquest heard that on Sunday, June 16, a journalist working for the Jewish Telegraph contacted Mr Kaye to inform him that Gough's licence was being removed.

He was called to a meeting the following day with Beth Din officials, who confirmed the decision.

To compound matters, Rabbi Natan Fagleman, of the Liverpool Kashrut Commission, informed him that his right to sell Kosher products at Roseman's licence was also being removed.

In a statement, Rabbi Aubrey Steiner of the Manchester Beth Din explained that it was believed that non-kosher meat had been supplied to both shops.

He said the licence system needed to be trustworthy as it provided a guarantee to those of the Jewish faith that food they were buying was kosher.

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Under Judaism, kosher foods are goods that meet a range of dietary regulations. If a food is not kosher, it is called treif, meaning torn.

Rabbi Steiner added that licences for both shops were carried on Mr Kaye's behalf by shomers - a Jewish legal guardian - as he was 'not deemed to be observant' of the faith.

Ms Davies said: "He came out of the meeting and said they were going to pull Liverpool's licence as well.

"Never did we think Liverpool would be brought into question. There had never been any issues and he had run it for so long."

Ms Davies told the hearing that Mr Kaye was followed back to Gough's by three rabbis, who then made him climb a ladder with a broken shoulder to paint over the Beth Din sign.

She claims photographs were taken of him doing so.

According to Ms Davies, several bookings to cater events were cancelled by clients in light of the licence being removed.

In Liverpool, where Roseman's was the only kosher meat supplier, kitchens, including the city's synagogues and care homes, had to be 're-koshered'.

Private customers were also advised to remove any utensils or pans which may have touched non-Kosher food and to deep-clean their ovens and microwaves.

The inquest heard that Mr Kaye had hoped to continue trading at Gough's without a licence, but was given three options for Roseman's.

They were to sell up, to only serve pre-packaged food, or to sell pre-packaged food and allow a competitor to open.

Following the meeting, Mr Kaye was said to be 'completely broken'.

Ms Davies said: "He was so withdrawn. He was just saying 'we will be okay', but he was not okay. He had not been for a long time.

"He was worried about staff. He had members of staff that had worked for him for years.

"Liverpool had already been struggling because Robert had not been there."

That evening, Mr Kaye spoke to a friend over the phone and told him he 'might as well hang himself'

However, the friend did not believe he had any intention of doing so.

Mr Kaye went to sleep and woke up before leaving the house shortly after 7am the following morning to take his daughter to school. As he left, he shouted "Babe, I'm going. Love you," to Ms Davies.

She then left the house about 20 minutes later to head to work. She tried to ring Mr Kaye shortly after 7.45am, but he failed to answer or return the call.

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"It was not like him," she said. "Even if he was busy he would answer the phone or call back when he had time."

Concerned, she returned home and found Mr Kaye hanging in the loft.

Paramedics were called, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pathologist Dr Emil Salmo recorded Mr Kaye's cause of death as 'hanging'.

The inquest heard that Mr Kaye's health had been deteriorating in the months leading up to his death.

He was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2015 and the condition had gradually worsened to the point where it was hampering his day-to-day life.

The impact became such that he was diagnosed with depression in 2018.

Ms Davies said: "He was a very strong, proud man. He never wanted anyone to do anything for him.

"He did not like the fact he was having to ask for help with things.

"He said he did not have any fight in him. It is difficult running your own business. Robert was so passionate and took everything personally."

Ms Davies told the inquest that problems began to build up further in the six months leading up to his death.

In May, he fractured his shoulder but forced himself to continue working as he was self-employed.

A week before his death, he told a nurse he had been experiencing suicidal thoughts and was referred for an urgent appointment with his GP, who prescribed him with antidepressants.

"I was so proud of him when he went to finally admit how low he was really feeling. He had been struggling for months, he was struggling to sleep and eat. He was tortured every day."

Recording a verdict of 'suicide', coroner Catherine McKenna said: "I have heard that Robert had struggled with a number of pressures and they had come to a head.

"There were personal issues and health concerns.

"While there was no note left, the evidence of recent suicidal thoughts, the fact there was no drugs or alcohol found in his system leads me to the conclusion that Robert intended the consequences of his actions."

Paying tribute to Mr Kaye, Ms Davies said: "He was a beautiful soul, I loved him.

"I want good to come out of this. I have tried to raise money in his memory and I will continue to do so."