A CORONER has slammed a Bournemouth man who sent “arrogant” text messages to a man who then killed himself.

Stephen Chilcott sent a series of messages to Wolverhampton man Gordon Richards because he did not approve of his relationship with his mother, Dorothy Bennett, an inquest was told.

One message, sent days before Mr Richards' death, read: “One thing I promise, we meet, I break u nose, I swear on my kids.”

Mr Richards, 60, was found dead in his car in January this year. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

He left a note to say he was “fed up” with the abuse and to “tell Dorothy it's not her fault, it's her family.”

Recording a verdict that Mr Richards killed himself, Black Country senior coroner Robin Balmain said of the messages: “They were arrogant, and they clearly caused Mr Richards a lot of distress, and it seems to me that was a factor in what he did.

“This was a disgraceful manifestation of a disapproval that was no concern of Mr Chilcott's at all.”

The inquest, held at Smethwick Coroner's Court, heard Mr Richards met Mrs Bennett, who lives in Poole, while on holiday on the south coast around 18 months before he died.

The pair became friends and went on holidays together but she was still married and her son disapproved. 

Mrs Bennett explained that her husband knew what was happening as they lived together while he cared for her due to her strokes.

After obtaining Mr Richards' number when his mother went into hospital following a second stroke, Mr Chilcott started sending the messages.

In one message Mr Chilcott called Mr Richards “a weak little man” and in another he said: “Ur not good enough 4 her, ur not what she needs, she will lose all her family no matter how she pleads. Do not contact her again ur not worth losing her family over.”

Mr Chilcott told the inquest: “I didn't approve because I wanted Gordon to back off and leave my mum, to let her clear her head. She was also a married woman.”

When asked by Mr Balmain if he had anything to say to the family, Mr Chilcott said: “I'm sorry for what happened.”