A man who was killed after being hit by a train intended to take his own life, a coroner has ruled.

John Collins, 60, from Tiptree, died at Kelvedon railway station on October 29 after walking on to the tracks.

The train driver applied the emergency brakes when he saw Mr Collins but was unable to prevent the collision.

Police and paramedics were called to the incident, but Mr Collins was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post mortem examination revealed the cause of death to be fatal injuries.

Essex Coroner’s Court heard Mr Collins had a history of anxiety issues and panic attacks.

He had also received bad news regarding the health of his twin brother prior to his death.

However, Mr Collins’s wife, Denise, told the court there was “nothing out of the ordinary” to suggest her husband would take his own life and that he had appeared in a better mood than normal when he walked the dog with her in the hours before his death.

Dr Mark Roberts, a GP from Tiptree Medical Centre who had conducted a telephone appointment with Mr Collins ten days prior to his death, also told the court that he had deemed his mood to be “stable”.

An investigation carried out by British Transport Police found there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the tragedy and that it was a “deliberate” act by Mr Collins to walk on to the tracks.

Mrs Collins said she and her family disputed some of British Transport Police’s findings.

After hearing the evidence given during the inquest, assistant coroner Tina Harrington ruled Mr Collins died as a result of suicide.

She said: “I have considered the array of possible conclusions, including an open verdict or accident.”

She found “on the balance of probability” that Mr Collins had killed himself.

The coroner said: “I conclude that he died from a deliberate act that was initiated by him and that he intended to cause his death.”

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