A mum-of-four has blamed her partner's obsession with steroids for the depression and mood swings which led to him take his own life.

Wendy Edwards was speaking at the inquest of 51-year-old Kevin Billson, who was found hanged in his garden shed in Canterbury.

The couple had been together for 30 years, but their relationship was put under strain by his battles with mental illness.

At the hearing yesterday, Ms Edwards told coroner Ian Goldup that Mr Billson, who was nicknamed Buffalo, had complex mental health issues, including Asperger's and autism.

But they had worsened when he started bodybuilding and injecting himself with anabolic steroids.

“There is no doubt they had a psychiatric effect and others were concerned about his mental state too,” she said.

“People were asking, ‘what’s wrong with Kev?’

“I had a stark talk with him and told him his behaviour wasn’t acceptable, but he went on taking it anyway. Kev was a man who could not be told.”

Miss Edwards said her partner also always refused to engage with mental health services, even when she took him to hospital following an earlier attempt to hang himself just three weeks before his death.

“He ran away,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do and called Crisis Care and the police.

"He eventually came home and the police came but said they couldn’t section him.

“I was freaking out because I was telling everyone he was going to kill himself.”

The coroner heard that her fears were tragically realised when Mr Billson was found hanged in the shed he called his den. He was discovered by his daughter, Tia, at the family home in the Hoystings on July 14.

"I had a stark talk with him, but he went on taking it... Kev was a man who could not be told" - Wendy Edwards

A police investigation concluded there had been no foul play and a post-mortem comfirmed the cause of death as suspension.

Miss Edwards said: “I loved Kev, but he was ill. We did everything to try and keep him alive.

“I think he caused his death. He had rehearsed it and this time it worked. But I don’t think he was in the right state of mind.

“He was a great partner and dad and a very creative artist.”

Daughter Tia Billson had come home especially with her baby daughter to be with her dad the day before the tragedy, “just to chill together”.

“He seemed in quite good spirits but the next day it was a different story, though I still didn’t expect him to take his own life,” she added.

Recording a conclusion that Mr Billson’s death was a suicide, Mr Goldup pointed to his previous attempt and the deliberate actions he took to take his own life.

Following Mr Billson's death, the family suffered another blow when thieves broke into the home of his daughter Aleesha in Chartham and stole money set aside for his funeral.

They were forced to launch an online appeal for help which sparked a huge response and they say allowed them to give him a proper send-off.

The thieves were caught on CCTV but police say they have so far been able to identify them.

If you need help on an emotional issue you can call the Samaritans free, at any time, on 116 123.

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