The death of a man whose body was found in his car has been ruled as ‘suicide’, an inquest heard today (April 12).

Gavin Stubbs, a 43-year-old painter and decorator from Oxford, died on November 16 last year at his home address in Littlemore.

The cause of death was ruled as carbon monoxide poisoning from an exhaust pipe.

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The inquest heard that Mr Stubbs had struggled with his mental health after the separation from his partner several months earlier and had since expressed intentions to take his own life.

Police attended Mr Stubbs’s address after a work colleague raised the alarm that the dad-of-three had not turned up for work on November 16, the inquest heard.

After finding no home, they searched the garage where the body of Mr Stubbs was discovered in his car.

The inquest heard that it was unclear when the death occurred, but the police officers who attended the scene said it was likely that the 43-year-old had been deceased for some time.

Coroner Darren Salter ruled the death as ‘suicide’ on the basis that there was no evidence of third-party involvement in the incident, and it was clear that the intention of Mr Stubbs was to end his life.

Mr Salter told the inquest: “There is no evidence of defence injuries or him being placed in the vehicle.

“He put himself in the vehicle and set it up like that himself.

“The circumstances suggest that there was intent to end his life and therefore the conclusion is suicide.”

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