A 29-year-old man told a friend “my time on earth is done” before taking his own life in a wood.

Jack Cox, who lived with his brother in Old Wives Lees outside Canterbury, jumped over the rear fence of his home and ventured into nearby woodland.

After speaking with a close friend on the phone, he was found dead later that evening following a search involving the coastguard helicopter.

A poem was found in a bag in his room which made mention of ending his life and he did not take any keys with him.

Described by his family as “a secretive person”, Mr Cox had previously alluded to ending his life and said he felt depressed about a month before his death.

An inquest on Monday at Maidstone’s Archbishop’s Palace heard he left his house for the final time on February 8.

Acting Detective Inspector Martin Glynn said: “Jack had made comments over the years about ending his life and about travelling to Switzerland to have a lethal injection. However, the family had no immediate concerns prior to February.

“He was seen to leave his house at 1.05pm, jumping over the rear fence of the property and walking into the woods in the direction of an orchard.

“He self-medicated with cannabis but it was believed he left without a joint which was unusual - he also did not take keys.”

Not long after leaving, Mr Cox spoke with a friend on the phone and was “very quiet and not forthcoming”.

During the talk, he said “I am where I need to be and my time on earth is done” and the friend could sense he had been crying.

After concerns were raised with the family, a search for Mr Cox began and police were alerted after 7pm.

A dog unit and coastguard helicopter scoured the area around Old Wives Lees and his body was found shortly after 11pm.

'I am where I need to be and my time on earth is done...'

Mr Cox’s brother, Ben, who he lived with, said: “Approximately a month ago, Jack spoke to me and said he was feeling so depressed but he wouldn’t expand or show any emotion too much and didn’t say anything more about it.”

Mr Cox’s GP said his patient had been in good health and he had not seen him since 2011.

No violence or third-party involvement was discovered, and assistant coroner Joanne Andrews concluded the inquest by returning a verdict of suicide.

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