Needham Market stab victim took own life, inquest hears

A man found dead at his home in Needham Market last year took his own life, an inquest has heard.

Sean Victor Mills, 45, died from a single stab wound to his heart on December 11, 2014.

Assistant coroner Dr Dan Sharpstone said Mr Mills showed no signs of defensive injuries and his stab wound was in keeping with a fatal self-inflicted injury.

Mr Mills’ former partner Jacqueline Shah called paramedics after receiving a text from him on December 11.

He was pronounced dead at his home in John Swain Close at 5.05pm. A silver carving knife was found next to him.

A post-mortem examination found Mr Mills also had three wounds in his neck and liver cirrhosis but none of these were thought to have contributed to his death.

The inquest in Bury St Edmunds today (September 21) heard that Mr Mills had a history of depression and anxiety, mostly due to alcohol and relationship problems.

He had previously suffered an alcohol epileptic seizure and acute alcoholic hepatitis and had taken an overdose and self-harmed.

But he was thought to have been ‘turning a corner’ after a successful stay in rehab earlier last year, the inquest heard.

In a statement read at the hearing, Mr Mills’ son Jake said his father was a ‘good man’ when he was not drinking but alcohol ‘turned him into something completely different’.

“I believe he was suffering with some of the stuff in his head,” he said.

Ms Shah said he was the ‘perfect boyfriend’ when sober but would ‘pick fights and say horrible things’ when drunk.

Dr Sharpstone said he was ‘clearly a man who had two very distinct sides to himself’.

He said: “My conclusion, therefore, is Mr Mills died by his own hand, under the influence of alcohol.”