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A father-of-six hanged himself in his back garden because he could not see his children, an inquest has heard.

Darren Benstead, 37, was found by his partner who rang 999 shortly before 7am on February 17. She had known him for 18 years.

"I woke up between 6am and 6.30am," she said in a statement read to the court.

"I said, 'You're up early.' He said he couldn't sleep and went downstairs to get some Weetabix. He came back to bed.

"At 7am I got up and went to wake (their son) up. I saw Darren on the tree. He looked still. I ran out."

His partner, who lived with Mr Benstead in Kyffin Avenue on east Hull's Bilton Grange estate, said she tried to get him down but could not.

Paramedics arrived within minutes but Mr Benstead could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following an investigation, Humberside Police confirmed the death was not suspicious.

The court heard he had also had children with a former partner. It was claimed that Mr Benstead had been depressed because he could not see some of his children.

Lisa Withers, Mr Benstead's older sister, said in a statement that "hanging is never anything I expected Darren to do."

Mr Benstead had suffered a troubled past, serving two short prison sentences, including one for assaulting his brother. He was also known to have taken amphetamine, cocaine and cannabis.

Between 2007 and 2008 he had sought help from his GP for depression and in February 2015 had received counselling.

His partner said a short time after discovering him, she found a note addressed to her and their son.

Rosemary Baxter, area coroner for Hull and the East Riding, elected not to read the note in open court but concluded it set out Mr Benstead's intention to take his own life.

Dr Justin Cooke, who carried out the postmortem examination, confirmed Mr Benstead died as a result of hanging. He confirmed there were no traces of alcohol or drugs in his blood, which may have impaired his judgement.

Concluding the inquest, Ms Baxter noted Mr Benstead had, in the past, threatened to "blow his head off" and suffered periods of low mood.

She said: "Having heard all the evidence I am persuaded to the highest standard of proof that Darren did intend to take his own life."

After the hearing, Mr Benstead's mother, Elaine Benstead, 59, of Bransholme, said he doted on his children.

"I still can't get my head around what has happened," she said. "We will remember him as the Barbecue King. He loved his barbecues."