Roofer who tragically took his own life on Bassetlaw farm was in pain and worried about work

Charles Bower asked his boss for payment up front and said “his job had no future as no one has any tin roofs anymore,” while he was painting barn doors at a farm in the North Leverton area on July 23, last year.

Amanda Bewley, assistant coroner for Nottinghamshire, said Mr Bower’s wife raised the alarm when he didn’t return home and his boss discovered him outside an outbuilding.

Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.

The inquest heard Mr Bower, aged 56, had previously worked at the farm with his father who died in an road traffic accident five years before.

He was prescribed the antidepressant Mirtazapine during lockdown after reporting depression and anxiety.

And he shattered the heel of his foot after falling from a 20ft high ladder during a painting and decorating job in Ireland, in December 2024, and was being treated at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

“He was worried the hospital would do something that would prevent him from working,” said the coroner.

His brother-in-law spoke to Mr Bower by phone on the day of his death but said nothing that “would have sparked concern otherwise he would have done something about it.”

Mr Bower was unable to read or write so would have been unable to leave a note, the coroner added.

His GP at Newgate Medical Group in Worksop said Mr Bower gave no indication of suicidal ideation and there was no evidence of him over-ordering medication.

The coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide.

“I want to make it clear that those signs would not have been obvious to his family or friends,” the coroner said on Tuesday. “There was nothing particularly out of the ordinary would have alerted them.

“He was much loved by his family and they rallied around in the aftermath of his death. I want to express my sincere condolences for their tragic loss.”

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