Articles | Speight left two suicide notes

Speight left two suicide notes

Published: Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 11:22AM

Mark Speight left two suicide notes, the inquest into the death of the children's television star has heard.

The 42-year-old was found hanging in a building next to London's Paddington railway station on Sunday, six days after being reported missing.

Detective Inspector William Jordan, of British Transport Police, confirmed the TV presenter had been found hanged and that police are not treating the death as suspicious.

DI Jordan also confirmed to the coroner that he was aware of two suicide notes - one found on the presenter's person and another in a flat.

Speight had been in turmoil after finding his fiancée Natasha Collins' body in the bath of the penthouse flat in De Walden House, Allitsen Road, St John's Wood, northwest London on January 3. She had been scalded and suffered 60 per cent burns to her body.

He was initially arrested in connection with her death but no charges were brought. An inquest into her death heard she had taken cocaine, alcohol and sleeping tablets.

Inner West London Coroner Dr Paul Knapman said there appeared to have been a "double tragedy".

At a brief hearing at Westminster Coroner's Court, Speight's inquest was opened and adjourned following the formal identification of his body and a post-mortem examination.

Following Collins' death, Speight moved in with her mother, Carmen, who reported him missing last Monday.