Speight hanged himself with laces
- 00:01:12
- ITN
Speight hanged himself with laces
An inquest into the death of television presenter Mark Speight has found he committed suicide by hanging himself with his shoelaces at Paddington railway station.The 42-year-old was found hanging in a building next to the station on April 13, six days after he was reported missing.The childrens' TV star had been left reeling by the death of his fiancee, Natasha Collins, 31, at the flat they shared in St John's Wood, north west London in January.He was initially arrested in connection with her death and over drugs allegations but no charges were brought.Following Miss Collins' death, Mr Speight moved in with her mother, Carmen, who later told police he had disappeared.An earlier hearing at Westminster Coroner's Court heard Mr Speight left two suicide notes - one found on the presenter's person and another in a flat.Inner West London Coroner Dr Paul Knapman said there appeared to have been a "double tragedy".An inquest into Miss Collins's death heard she took cocaine and sleeping tablets before getting into a scalding hot bath on January 3.A coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure on the 31-year-old after hearing how she suffered serious burns.At his funeral in Wolverhampton last month, Mr Speight's father Oliver described him as a Pied Piper figure who took youngsters on a "magical mystery tour" of art.He said more than 7,000 children, many fans of the art show SMart, contacted the BBC after his death.
ITN | May 20, 2008
