FALKLANDS veteran John Hunt was tormented by the memories of his combat experiences and committed suicide in a bout of depression, an inquest heard.

The hearing in Chippenham on Friday was told Mr Hunt, 39, of Newcroft Road, Calne, who served with the Scots Guards and then the Parachute Regiment, was racked with guilt because he survived the war, but friends were killed.

The 20th anniversary of the war had plunged him into depression, and after breaking up a fight during an evening out with friends on May 4, he took a fatal overdose of tranquillisers.

Mr Hunt was found dead in his flat the next morning by his girlfriend, Lisa Davies, and nephew, Michael McCaffrey, with his Falklands War and Northern Ireland service medals lying inches away from his outstretched hand.

In a statement to police, Mr Hunt's brother Michael McDaid, said: "I knew John was upset after all he'd been through, but I didn't know it ran so deep. It was a complete shock when I found out what had happened."

He died weeks after an appointment with Combat Stress, the organisation set up to help ex-soldiers suffering with post traumatic stress syndrome.

Miss Davies, of Church Street, Calne, said Mr Hunt would wake up in the night covered in sweat. "In conversations he told me wanted to die, and wished he had died with friends of his who were killed in the war."

She told the court that Mr Hunt, who had three failed marriages, sent a text message to her late at night on May 4 to tell her he had broken up a fight involving his friends. When he arrived at her house in the early hours of May 5 he appeared upset and said "Maybe it's time for me to go."

When Miss Davies asked where, Mr Hunt replied "You know where."

Miss Davies said Hunt didn't want to stay, but after they talked he seemed fine and went home. They arranged to meet the next day and she asked him if he was going to do anything stupid and he said: "No, you know me."

Mr Hunt sent her a text message afterwards to apologise and to tell her he was all right and he was going to bed.

Chippenham PC Andrew Aves said he arrived at Hunt's home at 10.08am and discovered 11 empty tablet strips in the kitchen, and notes addressed to Miss Davies, Mr McDaid, Mr McCaffrey and Mr Hunt's son, Joshua.

In one of the letters Mr Hunt wrote: "The war ended 20 years today but it feels like only yesterday."

The inquest heard Mr Hunt's GP had changed his prescription of anti-depressants four times this year in an attempt to change his mood. Mr Hunt had been referred to a psychiatrist at Green Lane Hospital, Devizes, but he failed to attend several appointments and was discharged.

Wiltshire Coroner David Masters said: "We've heard a very sad history of a man who was clearly scarred by his experiences in the Falklands, and I suspect he never really got over those.

"When he saw Lisa in the early hours of the morning on May 5 he was clearly in turmoil because of the activities with his friends and the Falklands situation was still very much on his mind."

He recorded a verdict of suicide.