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A BODYBUILDER who returned to a childhood haunt to kill himself was on bail for a serious offence at the time, an inquest heard.
Wayne Pickering, a former Mr UK, from Peterborough, was found dead in his silver Volkswagen Passat in the car park of Sulham Woods, in Tilehurst, Reading, on Friday, January 23, this year.
Mr Pickering (41) grew up in Tilehurst, but is believed to have moved away from the area more than 20 years ago.
At the time of his death, he was sharing a home with friend Sarah Massey, in St Martins Street, Peterborough.
The day before he was identified, Chayce Hughes had spotted his car parked at the woods when he took his dog out for a walk.
When he returned the next day to walk the dog again with his girlfriend, he saw the car was still in the same position with a man seemingly slumped in the driver's seat, but he thought the man might just be sleeping.
After walking the dog, Mr Hughes and his girlfriend contacted the police, who attended the scene and discovered Mr Pickering was dead, with a packet of extra-strength painkillers next to him.
At an inquest into his death, held at Newbury Town Hall yesterday, assistant deputy coroner for Berkshire, Anna Burnside said toxicology reports revealed paracetamol, diphenhydramine and ephedrine – all found in over-the-counter drugs – were found in his body, and it was clear he had intended to kill himself.
Recording a verdict of suicide, Mrs Burnside said: "Wayne was on police bail following arrest for a serious offence. There were a number of text messages sent to his friend, Sarah.
"It does indicate that in these messages he was saying goodbye to her. He also wrote a number of letters to his friends and gave those to Sarah. All those messages indicate he was intending to take his own life."
Divorced Mr Pickering was popular in Peterborough's body-building community and had won Mr UK in 1999 and Mr England in 2002.
