AN ADVENTURE-seeking charity head who trained Prince Harry for a South Pole trek hanged himself after years of suffering from depression and anxiety, an inquest heard.

Julian Roberts, known as Jules, had moved into a cottage in Sandford St Martin, near Chipping Norton, just a week before he took his own life in August last year.

An inquest into the 37-year-old's death was held at Oxfordshire Coroners Court on Tuesday.

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The court heard Mr Roberts, an ultra marathon runner and chief executive of charity ShareGift, was found in a shed at the property by brother-in-law Henri Willi after his wife Francesca received a string of concerning text messages overnight on August 4.

The couple, who have a two-year-old daughter together, separated five months before his death, but in a statement read out to the court she said they had kept a 'workable relationship' with constant contact.

She said she woke to messages from Mr Roberts that included 'sorry' and an image of what she believed to be a suicide note, and told the inquest she ‘must have tried 80 times’ to get hold of him by phone before asking her brother to check on him.

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His wife said, when they met in 2015, he had told her that four years earlier he had gone into the woods with the intention of ending his life but on that occasion had not hurt himself.

Dr Sian Powell, from the Redcliffe Surgery in London where Mr Roberts was registered, said he suffered from 'long-standing depression' and there had been several occasions when he had attended the GP surgery reporting 'low mood' but had always denied having suicidal thoughts or self harm.

Psychiatrist Dr Shruthi Guruswamy said she first saw Mr Roberts in March 2017 and he had described feeling low and having 'dark thoughts' about '10 per cent' of the time.

She added he had anxiety issues and was diagnosed with ADHD the month before his death.

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At the time of his death it was reported Prince Harry, who Mr Roberts trained and joined on a South Pole trek for Forces charity Walking With The Wounded in 2013, had been ‘very upset’ by the news.

A source told the MirrorOnline: “This has come as a real shock. Harry and Jules hit it off from the moment they met. Jules helped to train Harry for the polar world."

Mr Roberts' charity ShareGift also helped to fund the Heads Together mental health charity, which is spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of Prince Harry, his brother Prince William and their wives Meghan and Kate.

Returning a conclusion of death by suicide, Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter said: “He was a man that had achieved a great deal in his life, all his achievements and work in relation to charitable causes is well known."

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article and need support, please contact the Samaritans on 116123.