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A firearms specialist from Wallington who died after shooting himself in the head during a stand-off with police had suffered from depression triggered by workplace bullying, an inquest heard today (Monday, October 30).

Anthony Hanley also blamed himself for the high-profile death of Mark Duggan, the hearing in Croydon was told.

Mr Hanley, a civilian employee of the Metropolitan Police, was drinking a bottle of whiskey a day and taking anti-depressants for months before his tragic death, South London Coroner's Court heard.

He fatally shot himself with a revolver on Saturday, January 30, 2016 after officers fired two rounds of rubber bullets and a Taser at him in the street, close to his home.

At the time of his death, the Met Police said that officers had been called to Melbourne Road after receiving reports of a man with a gun threatening to harm himself and others.

When they arrived police found him in nearby Bridge Road.

Senior coroner Selena Lynch heard at the inquest today how the 51-year-old, who was known as Tony and lived in Melbourne Road, told partner Tina Harper that he was planning to “threaten colleagues with a knife” and “wanted to kill them and harm himself” in the days leading up to his death, with Ms Harper talking him out of it.

Ms Harper told the inquest: “He just couldn’t put up with the bullying any more.

“He couldn’t cope with it any more.”

Ms Harper added that he felt guilty over Mark Duggan's death, as he recommended the bullets police were using when Mr Duggan was shot dead in 2011.

The circumstances of Mr Duggan's shooting by police led to protests which escalated into riots across the country, including in Croydon.

“He kept saying he was responsible for Mark Duggan’s death because of the bullets,” Ms Harper said.

“I said [to him] he may have recommended them but he didn’t authorise them.

“He said he kept seeing him, Mark Duggan’s ghost, and dead people. He felt responsible for Mark Duggan’s death, it never left his mind.

“He went downhill from December 31 [2015], he wasn’t his normal self from then on really. He was drinking because he couldn’t sleep and he kept seeing dead people.”

Unbeknown to his mother and siblings, Mr Hanley, described as a perfectionist in his job, had been off work for three months and was in debt before his death.

He had also been drinking a bottle of whiskey a day on and off for eight years to help him sleep up until a visit to the doctors' on Friday, October 28, 2015.

That day while on the phone to Ms Harper, his troubles came to a head as he threatened to hurt other people and himself, causing her to leave work early and go round to his flat.

Upon arrival she removed a large knife from his back pocket before going to the doctors' with him.

Previously Mr Hanley had taken 18 months off work due to depression in 2000 and 2001.

Upon the advice of his GP, Dr Mohammed Amjad, the firearms enthusiast who had a licence for two air rifles and a pistol while also owning decommissioned World War artillery, stopped drinking for a month from the end of October while on anti-depressions, with Ms Harper stating that he “wasn’t his usual warm safe Tony, he was like a zombie with a glaze in his eye”.

Ms Harper, who had an on-off relationship with Mr Hanley for 20 years, stated that he had drinking problems previously but they got worse from New Year’s Eve 2015 when he “turned up four hours late smelling of alcohol and was not the normal Tony”.

She said: “He didn’t drink in front of me, he knew I wasn’t happy as he wasn’t the same person.”

On the day before his death, Mr Hanley went around to Ms Harper’s flat to look after her cat while he also fixed her toilet and saw her dad.

As he was leaving he messaged her saying he “was going to the doctors' to be sectioned”.

Despite Dr Amjad and a colleague seeing him, giving him diazepam and Dr Amjad stating he wasn’t at risk of suicide because “he was coming to appointments regularly [which] does not happen if someone is suicidal”, Mr Hanley sent a message to Ms Harper afterwards implying they were ignoring him.

The text message, read out in court, said: “The doctors (two of them) told me they can’t do anything because it’s the weekend and I should instead go to A&E, basically they can’t do anything on a weekend.

“They told me to come back on Monday, I told them I don’t think I will be around on Monday, I told them I will take others but they said its Friday and the hospital will be busy.”

After proceedings paused due to Ms Harper becoming overwhelmed while giving evidence, she stated that she considered going there to see him that evening but her dad was at her house.

She stated that on the day of his death she “didn’t hear from him until the afternoon”.

Ms Harper added: “He asked where I was when [he] needed help and I messaged back that I was at the cemetery. His phone was engaged so I cleaned up, had a coffee and went there at 5.40pm from Clapham Junction.

“It took him a while to open the door, I could smell alcohol, it was strong and he was unstable on his feet, he seemed pleased to see me, he asked me if I would like a cup of tea, I said no I just had a coffee.

“I could see in his waste paper basket three empty bottles of whiskey. He told me he was really depressed, I said you will get through it, I have been there. He said you don’t know what’s going through my head, he told me I was a strong woman.”

After he grabbed her, which she stated “was unusual”, he stated he “couldn’t put up with the bullying any more” and “was responsible for Mark Duggan [and] it was so very different to how he always made me feel safe”.

At this point the case was adjourned.

Earlier in the hearing, Dr Amjad stated that Mr Hanley “mentioned he wanted to harm others and himself due to extreme anger he feels” but didn’t think he was at risk of suicide.

When he saw him the day before his death, he said: “He stunk of alcohol, was drinking because he couldn’t sleep and I prescribed him diazepam to reduce his alcohol level before any psychiatric assessment on [the] Monday.”

He added that he was “shocked” when he heard what had happened.

Mr Hanley was described as “calm and passive” by both his younger siblings Laura and Gerard.

Ms Hanley stated: “He didn’t inherit our father's temper like some of us, after our parents broke up he saw himself as head of the house and always tried to look after us.”

Gerard Hanley, 50, saw him on Sunday, January 24, six days before his death and stated how “he felt frustrated at work, that his expertise was being ignored”, adding that “he was a firearms expert and I’m an explosives expert”.

But Gerard Hanley added that his brother was “his usual self” when he tried bartering with Indian restaurateurs on Brick Lane despite already having a reservation.

The inquest, which started today (Monday October 30), is set to last at least two weeks.

*The Samaritans offer a free call number, which doesn't appear on the phone bill, for those suffering with suicidal thoughts or who just want to talk. Call 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch.