David EvansBUILDING worker David Evans hanged himself after being told he was going to be prosecuted for assaulting boys from Devizes School, an inquest heard.

David Evans, 52, who had been working for Devizes-based building firm Gaiger Brothers for more than 15 years, was found hanging in the garage at his Malmesbury home less than 24 hours after the incident took place at Devizes Leisure Centre.

Tuesday's hearing was told Mr Evans confronted three pupils in a changing room at Devizes School in February after they taunted him and a colleague.

Headteacher Malcolm Irons was asked to attend the inquest at Salisbury Coroner's Court on Tuesday by coroner Richard Van Oppen but not to give evidence.

Mr Van Oppen said he was satisfied Mr Evans had taken his own life despite the lack of a suicide note. He said he hoped the evidence given would be taken back to the school and considered by the school authorities.

After hearing how Mr Evans and his colleague were severely goaded by the group of 13 and 14-year-old pupils, Mr Van Oppen said: "What an appalling tragedy. What a loss. I have been a coroner for 20 years and words fail me."

Mr Irons said after the inquest that everyone at the school was deeply saddened by Mr Evans' death and expressed his condolences to the family.

But he defended his decision to call in the police after hearing of Mr Evans' actions.

He said: "We don't in any way condone the behaviour of the children but as far as I was concerned they were victims of an assault by a member of the public.

"The boys that Mr Evans allegedly assaulted were not necessarily those who had indulged in the goading and name calling. Our overriding concern was for the welfare of our pupils and we consider that we did the right thing in bringing in the police."

Mr Irons said that, although all the boys in the changing room had been spoken to on more than one occasion, no sanctions had been taken.

He said: "This is a salutary lesson that there are consequences to our actions over which we have no control."

Mr Van Oppen had read out a statement from Julie Evans, Mr Evans' wife, who said that she had returned home at about 2.20pm on Friday February 25 and found her husband hanging from the roof of the garage.

She said Mr Evans had returned home early the previous day and he told her that he and his colleague, Mark Molloy, had been on the receiving end of extremely offensive verbal abuse from schoolchildren.

He said he had "lost it" and forcibly pushed the boys back into their changing room. When another had objected he had tweaked the boy's nose.

He was told he would be prosecuted for assault on three boys. Mr Evans was depressed that he "had let Gaiger's down" and said, "I am not meant for this world and I can't go on".

He had witnessed a fatal road traffic accident in January 2004, when a young woman overtook his JCB and smashed head-on into a car. He did not stop because he couldn't face the carnage, but later went back and spoke to the police.

The experience preyed on his mind, the inquest heard.

Mrs Evans was not present at the inquest, though other members of Mr Evans' family were.

In a statement, Mark Molloy of Woodland Way, Devizes, said he and Mr Evans were laying concrete slabs. Boys in a changing room began giving them banter on Bob the Builder, which they took in good part but then there was obscene abuse.

Mr Evans told them to shut up, before one of the boys came out and threw a plastic warning cone at them. Apples and pieces of timber followed.

Mr Molloy then said he saw Mr Evans go into the changing room to confront the boys.

Mr Evans grabbed two of the boys by their shirts and pushed them back. Mr Molloy said later he heard a male voice and boys shouting, "sir, sir, he assaulted us."

Mr Evans phoned his supervisor at Gaiger's, Mark Godwin, and told him what happened.