An "amazing" dad took his own life after splitting up with his girlfriend during a weekend away in Blackpool, a coroner has ruled. Daryl McWilliam, from Kilmarnock, had travelled to the English seaside resort with his girlfriend of 12 months, Natalie Jones.
On Saturday, February 26, the pair went to Wetherspoons for something to eat before returning to their room at Garvey’s Promenade Hotel. The 24-year-old and his girlfriend spent some time in their room before the couple went back out and visited three pubs in the town centre.
Towards the end of the night Daryl became increasingly drunk and after becoming separated from Natalie he sent her a text and told her: “I don’t want to be with you anymore.” Natalie made several attempts to contact Daryl, who eventually returned to the hotel at around midnight.
The couple had an argument, during which Daryl damaged Natalie’s phone and other belongings in the room, before she started to pack her things into their car, reports Manchester Evening News.
When Natalie went back to the room, Daryl wasn’t there, so she went downstairs to the bar to look for him. A short while later Natalie went back up to the room where she found Daryl unconscious.
Paramedics and police were called but, despite extensive resuscitation efforts, Daryl was pronounced dead at 1.37am on February 27. The cause of death was given as suicide.
An inquest at Blackpool Town Hall today heard that Daryl, a pipe-fitter at Kilmaurs engineering firm A&L Mechanical Installations, had no history of mental health issues. He had visited the GP with his mum in 2020 for help with low mood but he was not known to the community mental health team.
The content of the messages sent by Daryl indicate he was intoxicated. This tragic incident would appear to have stemmed from the breakdown of the relationship on a night which involved alcohol consumption.
Assistant Coroner Louise Rae returned a conclusion of suicide. She said: “Daryl McWilliam was on holiday in Blackpool with his partner. Following an argument she returned to the room to find him [unconscious]. He was not known to mental health services.
“I agree this was a tragic incident which stemmed from the breakdown of a relationship. In terms of the evidence about how quickly unconscious and death would have followed I don’t believe anybody could have acted sooner.
"It is difficult to find any conclusion other than suicide given the mechanism involved. I am therefore satisfied that the only conclusion possible and the one that I reach is the short-form conclusion of suicide.”
A fundraiser launched after Daryl’s death, to help his parents Heather and John pay for the funeral, raised more than £2,200. Daryl’s girlfriend Natalie paid tribute to him after his death, as reported by Ayrshire Live, in which she described him as ‘the most amazing person’ she had ever known.
She added: “You showed me what true love actually is. I will always love you Daryl. I really wish I had gotten more time with you and got to do everything we planned on. You never failed to make me smile whenever I felt down and I can’t thank you enough for how happy you made me.”
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