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Inquest: Obese man depressed about his weight found hanged at railway bridge near Maidstone

17:00, 24 November 2015

An obese man depressed about his weight hanged himself at a railway bridge, a coroner heard.

An inquest held at Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone heard how 34-year-old Miklos Orban, from Barming was found in South Street on September 8.

The court heard how Mr Orban, originally from Hungary, made a call to the NHS 111 phone service at about 1.40am. He told the call operators of his intention to kill himself and where his body would be found.

The inquest was at Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone
The inquest was at Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone

The information was forwarded onto two nearby officers, including police constable Gareth Jones, who drove to South Street and repeatedly tried to contact Mr Orban.

PC Jones and a colleague arrived at the railway bridge on Medway Valley line six minutes later and saw Mr Orban fall. Paramedics later pronounced him dead at the scene.

No third parties are thought to be involved.

An inquest was opened on September 11 and a postmortem was carried out by pathologist Dr David Rouse at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Toxicology tests found no trace of drugs or alcohol in Mr Orban's system, and Dr Rouse recorded the medical cause of death to be suspension, or hanging.

The coroner heard evidence from Maidstone Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) and investigating officer detective constable Vicky Bladen of the British Transport Police.

The Medway Valley Line bridge in South Street. Credit: Google Maps
The Medway Valley Line bridge in South Street. Credit: Google Maps

Mr Orban, a former lorry driver, originally moved to the UK in 2008. He suffered from tinnitus and was clinically obese. Socially isolated, Mr Orban also had a history of mental illnesses, including depression and a personality disorder.

Talking therapy sessions with workers at CMHT had found Mr Orban suffered from poor self-esteem due to his weight and had been bullied over it at school. He had also made previous attempts to kill himself.

Mr Orban refused medication and other treatments and all contact between him and mental health workers ceased in May this year.

He was last seen alive by flatmates on September 7.

Senior coroner Patricia Harding, said: "I am satisfied Mr Orban intended to kill himself by suspension.

"I will record a conclusion of suicide and I will record that Miklos Orban died at Barming footbridge between South Street and St Helen's Lane."

No family were present at the hearing.

If you would like confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time.

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