A man took his own life when he exploded two gas canisters inside his car causing a massive fireball seen for several miles , an inquest heard.
On November 2 2021 Mark Billington drove from his home in Birmingham to a layby near Beddgelert, Wales, where the car burst into flames causing a bang “which shook the valley”.
Resident Dylan Clarke saw the smoke and ran to the car before going to a nearby home to call 999.
Mr Billington’s body was found inside the Fiat 500.
An inquest held in Caernarfon heard the graphic designer had been struggling with his mental health after an affair with a colleague.
On the day of his death, Mr Billington had sent a text message to his boss confirming the affair, adding he was concerned about her welfare.
He also messaged his former fiancé and the colleague with whom he claimed to have had an affair saying: "I'm sorry - I love you".
In her statement, the former fiancé said she had been concerned about Mr Billington for some time, adding: “The death of his dad had a massive impact on him. I don't think he ever processed it or recovered.
"He was working from home and struggling because he was an outdoor person. He was stressed with work. I would hear him shouting and banging his desk. I heard him say he was going to jump off a balcony a number of times.
"There were indications that he was depressed. He didn't want to celebrate his birthday. He was in debt which impacted on his mental wellbeing.
"I'm not sure if he ever hurt himself but he did make verbal threats. I found out after his death that he had been having an affair."
CCTV footage from a Sainsbury's store in Kidderminster showed Mr Billington had bought and filled two gas canisters on the day of his death.
Following an investigation, Kevin Jones, an expert fire scene investigator, determined that the most likely cause of the fire is "deliberate ignition within the passenger compartment by the driver".
Mr Billington’s sister, Karen Billington, described him as "a caring man" who "did not express his deepest emotions".
In a statement read out during the hearing, she added her brother had made references to where he would like his ashes to be scattered and what music he would like at his funeral.
A post-mortem showed Mr Billington died as a result of "inhalation of hot explosive gases". Concluding that he had intended to take his own life, acting senior coroner Katie Sutherland ruled his death as a suicide.
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