THE naked body of a depressed man obsessed with dying too early lay undiscovered for several days in his tiny bedsit.

On Wednesday, an inquest into the death of Mr David Scholtke heard how police were sent to his home in Brightwell Road, Watford, by concerned family members.

They were forced to break down the door and found him dead, naked and covered in human excrement, lying on the bathroom floor.

Deputy coroner Mr Graham Danbury said the unemployed 47-year-old had an eight-year history of depression, was on medication and was extremely anxious about dying.

Dr Dunston from Watford General Hospital told the inquest: "When I saw him he said he was feeling isolated and lonely and was spending a lot of time in bed. He had a long history of psychiatric problems, was anxious and suffered from mild depression.

"He was put on a safe drug called Peroxitine, which he said was not working well for him, but it is a relatively safe drug which would not be fatal in the event that someone took an excessive amount.

"He acknowledged he was isolated and agreed it would help to join a local support group. There was nothing in his behaviour to suggest he would take his own life."

West Herts community mental health nurse, Miss Diane McDonald, who visited him at home said: "When I saw him in November I was concerned by the standard of cleanliness in his home and he was neglecting himself.

"He said he was taking his medication but I was surprised at how many packets he had. In February, he was having panic attacks about dying and was taken to hospital."

Other professionals who attended the inquest, such as Peter Pollack of Watford social services, continued the theme of self-neglect and told the inquiry Mr Scholtke appeared to have difficulties with day-to-day tasks, did not go to the launderette, did not answer his mail and was not eating properly.

Despite attending a centre, having his medication doubled and visits from the community nurse, police discovered his body on March 31.

A doctor attended the bedsit and Mr Scholtke was certified dead at the scene.

The inquest was attended by the deceased's brother, Paul, his mother, Rosemary, and sister, Jenny. They listened to the evidence of the doctor and repeatedly asked witnesses if they were sure David Scholtke had not intended to harm himself.

Mr Paul Scholtke added: "If he was covered in faeces, surely he must have had some stomach complaint at least."

He was told a toxicity report had showed huge amounts of the peroxitine drug but could not be relied upon as it is the nature of the drug to be released back into the body in death and, even so, it was not a drug which would have proved fatal.

A post mortem also revealed there had been heart failure but could not ascertain what had caused the heart to fail.

Mr Danbury recorded an open verdict.

He said: "This is realistically the only verdict that I can give because nothing has shown the exact cause of death. The high drug presence in his body must be discounted as a cause because it is unlikely it would have proved fatal and, although there is a possibility of some heart complaint, we do not know exactly what."

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