A 'brilliant' young dad well known for his smile hanged himself just days after celebrating his first wedding anniversary, an inquest heard.
Jack Gilbert, 28, was found dead by his mum at her home. He he had been staying with her following an argument with his wife.
The father-of-one from Cheadle, was said to be having marriage difficulties after the stress of beginning IVF treatment and starting a new job.
His wife, Gemma Gilbert, had tragically suffered a miscarriage a few months into their marriage, but the pair remained keen to begin their own family.
Mr Gilbert, who worked as a joiner, had just landed a new contract and was due to be starting a new job.
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An inquest heard that other than a short spell of depressions as a teenager, Mr Gilbert had never reported to family or friends that he had suffered problems with his mental health.
His mother, Michelle Mulvihill, said that whilst he and his wife had been going through ups and downs she believed none of the arguments were sufficient for Mr Gilbert to take his own life.
But on July 4 last year she tragically discovered her son had hanged himself in the family bathroom.
"He was very popular, kind hearted and worked hard," she told a hearing at Stockport Coroner's Court.
"I didn't know of any problems with his mental health as he was always a very happy person - he was known for smile.
"There had been arguments between he and his wife and they were due to start IVF treatment the following week. "
The court heard that on July 3, last year, Mr Gilbert had gone to stay with his mother following a row with his partner.
Mrs Mulvihill said she received a text from her son to say he was going to the pub with friends to watch the World Cup match between England and Columbia.
"There were videos of him from that evening and he looked as happy as everyone else," she said.
"He text me later to say 'my suitcase is at yours for good now' but I just assumed it was one of those ups and downs."
During the course of the evening, Mr Gilbert met up with his wife in the pub and appeared to be in good spirits, the court was told.
Mrs Mulvihill said that when she got up for work the next morning, Mr Gilbert had not slept in his bed, but later phoned her to say he had stayed with a friend.
"He sounded tired, but nothing more than tired," she said.
"He said he was going home to get some sleep and I said I would speak to him in the morning."
But when she went to look for him the following morning, [July 4] Mr Gilbert's mother tragically found him in the bathroom having hanged himself.
Paramedics were called to the address but Mr Gilbert was pronounced dead at the scene.
Toxicology tests showed that Mr Gilbert had consumed low levels of alcohol and a 'recreational' amount of cocaine - most likely within the last 12 hours of his life.
Toxicologist Julie Evans said the side effects of cocaine could have played a part in Mr Gilbert's state of mind in the hours leading up to his death.
"Where the effects of cocaine start to wear off, there can be depression, low mood and sometimes links to self-harming behaviour," she said.
Mr Gilbert had a young son from a previous relationship and following his marriage to Gemma in June, 2017, the pair were looking forward to starting their own family.
Following a miscarriage in February 2018, the pair were planning to begin IVF treatment the next week.
In a statement read to the court, Mrs Gilbert said: "I can't understand why he would end his life - we had only just celebrated our first anniversary and were looking to start a family.
"Apart from being depressed when he was 18, I was not aware of any other health issues and he never indicated that he would harm himself."
Mrs Gilbert said that following an argument on July 3, Jack had packed up his things and left to go to his mother's house.
"I told him to get it out of his system and to come back when we were on the same page," she said.
"I saw him in the pub later that evening and he seemed really happy, saying that we would never split up.
"I spoke to him the following morning and said I was sick of the way he was treating me and that he should be focusing on the treatment."
Mrs Gilbert said that she had been staying with a friend the following day as she wanted to clear her head.
"I didn't find out about Jack until 11pm that night when I turned my phone back on," she said.
Recording a narrative conclusion, south Manchester Coroner Chris Morris said the threshold to conclude that Mr Gilbert had committed suicide had not been met.
He said that the lack of evidence relating to a specific intention or ongoing depression as well as the effects of cocaine, meant he could not confirm a 'sustained intention' to bring about the end of his life.
"This is a dramatic death involving the sudden death of a much loved son, husband and father," he said.
"He and his wife of one year had been trying to start their own family and his life was subject to stresses and strains and ups and downs.
"He had no sustained mental health problems and whilst friends and family supported him, nobody had any particular concerns he was especially low in mood of posed any risks."
Following the inquest, Mr Gilbert's devastated family paid tribute to their 'lovely' son and described him as a 'brilliant' dad.
Helplines and websites
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org .
Childline (0800 1111 ) runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number won’t show up on your phone bill.
PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is a voluntary organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
Depression Alliance is a charity for people with depression. It doesn’t have a helpline, but offers a wide range of useful resources and links to other relevant information. http://www.depressionalliance.org/
Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts. Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying. http://studentsagainstdepression.org/
The Sanctuary (0300 003 7029) helps people who are struggling to cope - experiencing depression, anxiety, panic attacks or in crisis. You can call them between 8pm and 6am every night.operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org .
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