A coroner has slammed a detective for acting as 'judge and jury' in the case of a grandfather who killed himself after being accused of historic sex abuse.

Alan Bailey was 'hounded' to his death after being accused of indecency and rape by a woman who said he had abused her when she was 15, the inquest heard last week.

The father-of-two, who maintained his innocence and was awaiting trial, faced a campaign of intimidation by the woman's partner leaving him 'paranoid' and suicidal.

But when he complained to South Yorkshire Police investigating officer Aneela Khali-Khan, she allegedly told him to 'man up' - failing to probe the harassment he faced.

Alan Bailey (left) complained to South Yorkshire Police investigating officer Aneela Khali-Khan (right), but she allegedly told him to 'Man up' and failed to look into the harassment he suffered

Just days before he was due to stand trial, the 56-year-old drove to a Peak District beauty spot in the village of Miller's Dale and plunged a kitchen knife into his heart.

Minutes before Mr Bailey - who died an innocent man in the eyes of the law - stabbed himself, he texted his daughter to say he had had enough of 'PC s***'. Another text read: 'I'm crying. I'm not guilty. They have broken my heart. Can't go on. Love u. Dad.'

His daughter, Theresa Bailey-Skews, said he also inadvertently phoned her and left a message on which she could hear his scream as he plunged the knife into his heart.

Now a coroner has slammed the police's 'Keystone Kops' handling of the case and said their failure to protect Mr Bailey led to him killing himself.

In a scathing conclusion, Derbyshire's Senior Coroner Dr Robert Hunter said Mr Bailey took his life while the balance of his mind was temporarily disturbed.

He said that was caused by 'the actions of a third party and individual and collective failures of South Yorkshire Police'.

Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard Mr Bailey was first arrested on New Year's Day 2010. The woman's partner contacted police alleging she had been raped by him.

Just days before he was due to stand trial, the 56 year-old drove to a Peak District beauty spot in the village of Miller's Dale (pictured) and plunged a kitchen knife into his heart

Days earlier the two men had been involved in a violent confrontation at his home in Sheffield. The former steelworker was questioned and bailed with no conditions.

Ms Bailey-Skews said his wife Karen moved out and within hours of his arrest he went into a 'downward spiral'. She told the court: 'I saw my dad, he was upset.

Daughter forced to listen helplessly on the phone as her father stabbed himself Alan Bailey's daughter, Theresa Bailey-Skews, said her father inadvertently phoned her and left a message on which she could hear his scream as he plunged the knife into his heart. Earlier on the afternoon of May 19, 2010, she had first become worried about her father after receiving a 'goodbye' text and rang him. Minutes before he stabbed himself, he texted Theresa Bailey-Skews to say he had had enough of 'PC s***'. Another text read: 'I'm crying. I'm not guilty. They have broken my heart. Can't go on. Love u. Dad.' Mr Bailey would only tell her that he was somewhere he loved walking. Frantically his family began a search of his favourite places in the Peak District and found his car in the early evening in the village of Miller's Dale. Ms Bailey-Skews called police, who later spotted her father on a hillside just off a walking trail. When officers approached he collapsed to the floor, bleeding from a chest wound. Advertisement

'He had been drinking and there were cuts to his hands, but he refused to go to hospital. He had changed, it was like I was looking at a stranger.'

The evening before he was due to answer bail, Ms Khali-Khan rang to say his estranged partner wanted to move back in the house.

She told him his wife should not suffer because 'she had done no wrong'. On February 18 he was charged with a series of sex offences against the woman.

The next day he appeared at court and was granted bail until his trial. But he was forced out of his home and ended up in a hostel for drug addicts and the homeless.

Eventually his daughters rented him a one bedroom flat and he returned to work as a delivery driver for Asda.

But his alleged victim's partner started turning up at the store and then driving slowly past Mr Bailey's flat, on one occasion with the woman in his car.

He reported four incidents of harassment, but no officers visited him. He became increasingly 'jittery' and 'tearful' fearing he would be re-arrested for breaching his bail, though he had done nothing wrong.

Ms Khali-Khan, who joined South Yorkshire Police in 2003, was a detective constable at the time with two years' experience in the criminal investigation department.

Last year she was promoted to Acting Detective Inspector. She confirmed ringing Mr Bailey to mediate between him and his wife over who should be living at the home.

Dr Hunter asked the officer: 'You said his wife had 'done no wrong'. What wrong, at that point, had Mr Bailey done? He had none. You assumed he was guilty?'

Ms Khali-Khan, who had no record of the phone call, replied: 'I would not have assumed that.'

Mr Bailey drove to the Derbyshire village of Miller's Dale (pictured) and left a note in his car which said: 'I'm scared to do this. I'm not guilty of rape or abuse'

Mr Bailey's other daughter Angela Bailey said after her father reported the other man driving past his house on April 22, Ms Khali-Khan rang him and told him to 'Man up'.

The coroner asked the officer about the phone call. She said they had a 'lengthy conversation', but her notes ran to just seven lines.

She could not remember Mr Bailey saying he was scared for his safety or that she told him 'no law had been broken'.

She claimed he only asked her to have 'words of advice' with the man. The coroner said he doubted her version of events. She denied telling Mr Bailey to 'man up'.

Dr Hunter asked why she had not fully investigated the intimidation or a possible case of perverting the course of justice that could have affected legal proceedings.

'You did not take him seriously, you dismissed him,' he told the officer. 'I put it to you that you had already acted as judge and jury and had already formed an opinion about Mr Bailey's guilt.'

'I disagree with that,' replied Ms Khali-Khan.

Over the following weeks Mr Bailey was subjected to more harassment, but did not report it. He lost faith in the justice system and his depression deepened.

On May 19, 2010 Mr Bailey drove to the Derbyshire village of Miller's Dale. He left a note in his car which said: 'I'm scared to do this. I'm not guilty of rape or abuse.'

Around mid-afternoon Ms Bailey-Skews became worried when she received a 'goodbye' text and rang him, but he would only say he was somewhere he loved walking.

Ms Khali-Khan (left) confirmed ringing Mr Bailey (right) to mediate between him and his wife over who should be living at the home

Frantically his family began a search of his favourite places in the Peak District and found his car in the early evening and called police.

At around 7.30pm two officers spotted Mr Bailey on a hillside just off a walking trail. When they approached he collapsed to the floor, bleeding from a chest wound.

Two knives were found nearby, one of them, a 11.5cm (4.5in) long serrated kitchen knife was blood stained.

The blade had punctured the heart and caused a 'slow bleed' into the pericardial sack around it, constricting the organ. Tests showed he had been drinking.

Police, paramedics and an air ambulance doctor battled in vain to save him.

Concluding he took his life while the balance of his mind was 'temporarily disturbed' the coroner added: 'This in part was contributed to by the actions of a third party and by individual and collective failures of South Yorkshire Police from taking appropriate action to mitigate relevant and genuine concerns.'

Dr Hunter said Mr Bailey 'lost all confidence in the force, his mental state deteriorated, and he had begun to self-harm'.

He called the investigation 'not fit for purpose' and said issues raised during the week-long inquest were 'extremely serious'.

Chesterfield Coroner's Court (above) heard Mr Bailey was first arrested in January 2010

He added: 'I feel Mr Bailey would have been better served by the Keystone Cops as opposed to South Yorkshire Police.

'When a complaint is made the police have a duty to investigate it thoroughly. Mr Bailey called the police four times and each time his concerns were dismissed.'

Dr Hunter accepted South Yorkshire Police's practices have improved significantly since 2010, but said he would be referring the force to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (formerly the IPCC) over the actions of officer Khalil-Khan.

He described her investigation as 'incompetent' and said there were 'serious questions about her conduct and probity that needed to be addressed'. She also 'missed opportunities' to deal with the intimidation.

Dr Hunter also referred the force over their handling of the family's complaint after Mr Bailey's death. He questioned their internal investigation and said his daughters received 'platitudes and a whitewash'.

After the hearing Ms Bailey said: 'We always felt that the police woman had made up her mind that Dad was guilty. What ever happened to innocent until proved guilty?'

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said the force was aware of the coroner's comments.

The force added: 'As the coroner has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Complaints (IOPC) we are not able to comment further at this time, but will do so following the IOPCs findings.'