Day or night, you won't miss a story with the Liverpool Echo newsletter Sign me up now Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A DEPRESSED Liverpool fan killed himself as his team trailed 3-0 at half time to AC Milan in the Champions League final.

An inquest on Mark Houghton, 43, heard that he was found by his girl-friend Jacqueline Young at 9pm on May 25, when defeat for Liverpool looked certain.

He was found hanging by a leather belt from a hook in the kitchen of his home in Darwen, Lancashire.

Liverpool went on to score three goals in the second half of the game and, after penalties, secured a historic fifth European Cup win.

Coroner Michael Singleton, sitting at Blackburn, was told that Mr Houghton had suffered depression since he lost his job as a forklift truck driver as a result of an industrial accident two years ago.

The injury he suffered caused him almost constant pain in his back and shoulders.

Ms Young said Mr Houghton was a lifelong Reds fan. The death of Anfield legend Emlyn Hughes last November had also greatly upset him.

She said: "I was not aware he was contemplating suicide but I became aware that he was suffering from depression two weeks before he died."

Ms Young said she had known Mr Houghton since they were teenagers and they had been a couple for nine months.

Taking evidence from Ms Young, the coroner said: "The night Mark died was the night of the Champion's League final. At 9pm, when you found his body, Liverpool were 3-0 down.

"Is he the kind of person who would be affected by a scoreline like that?"

Ms Young said: "I can't think of a reason why he would do this."

Dr Ajeet Gupta, Mr Houghton's GP, said he had been treating him for depression since 2002 but none of the treatments seemed to be effective.

He became worried about his patient's state of mind and referred him to mental health specialists.

Recording a suicide verdict, Mr Singleton said: "He was in his home where he could not reasonably expect to be discovered in the short-term.

"He did intend to bring about his own demise."

mikehornby@liverpoolecho.co.uk