Michael Heath, 24, was described as “beautiful” by his family and had was praised by customers at work and there had been nothing to suggest he had issues at his employer
A ‘beautiful’ bet365 worker “lost £3,000 in a casino” and then fell to his death from a bridge, an inquest has heard.
Michael Heath, 24, died on July 29 after falling from a bridge over the A500 before he was hit by an HGV. It was heard how he showed no outward signs he had been struggling with his mental health, although he had previously attempted to take his own life.
The bet365 worker, from Newcastle-under-Lyme attempted an overdose in January 2020 before he was diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder. But it was heard Michael had made significant improvements with his mental health, and gave loved ones “no cause for concern” in the time shortly before his death.
READ MORE: Brit, 20, dies in ‘tragic accident’ after plunging from hotel balcony in holiday hotspotREAD MORE: Dad-of-three who fell to death from rooftop bar pictured for first time as heartbroken family pay tribute
His dad told the inquest: “Mike worked as an online customer service advisor for bet365. He worked night shifts, doing a week in the office and a week at home.
“There was nothing to suggest he was having issues with work. He would talk about how he received praise from customers.
“But, prior to the collision, Mike had been on a period of sickness because he was feeling ill with flu-like symptoms. He took the week off and was due to return to work on July 28.
“I would say that he was feeling anxious about his return to work because he would have been under an absence warning. But he appeared okay. He presented as his usual self and there was nothing to cause me concern.
“I also work nights. On the day of the incident, I returned home at around 3.20am. Mike was not home. This was not out of the ordinary.
“I thought he was still at work. I sat down to watch some TV, before I received a number of text messages. At 4.05am, I received a text and at 4.16am another text.”
Forensic collision investigator at Staffordshire Police Sergeant Roger Whetton told the inquest that Michael died after being struck by an HGV. A toxicology report found he had alcohol and cocaine in his system before he died with his cause of death reported as multiple injuries as a result of being struck by vehicles on the road, reports StokeonTrentLive. .
Before making for the birdge, Michael reached out to a friend and bet365 colleague. His friend also said there had been no concerns over his mental wellbeing.
He told the inquest: “On July 29, I was at work when I started receiving text messages from Michael at around 12.48am. He asked what I was doing. I sensed something was off. I offered to meet him after work for a pint. He agreed, saying he definitely needed one.
“I got to the casino at around 2.11am and Michael was already there. I didn’t gamble but Michael did. He was up at one point, but later reached his gambling limit. He transferred me £200 so I could withdraw the funds to allow him to carry on gambling.
“Once he’d finished, we left the casino and he gave me a lift home in his car. Michael appeared upbeat and was talking about the plans he had with his girlfriend. They wanted to start a family. He dropped me off home at around 3.45am.
“At around 4.05am, I received messages from Michael. I asked if he was okay and tried to reason with him. Later that day, I heard that he had died.”
Coroner Li Hammer-Naylor recorded Michael’s death as suicide. She added: “Suicide must never be presumed. It must be proved that the deceased took their own life and that they intended to do so.
“On the balance of probabilities, I find that there is evidence that Michael intended to take his own life. There is direct evidence of intention through the messages he sent to his family, friends and partner. His actions also appeared to be deliberate and directed.”
For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
