Ex-primary school headteacher's shock death just days before Christmas

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

An ex-primary school headteacher committed suicide just days before Christmas, an inquest has heard. Simon Tonge, who was headteacher at Spring Hill Community Primary School in Accrington, died on December 2 last year.

Simon, of Clarendon Gardens, Bromley Cross, had struggled with his mental health for some time and felt a lot of pressure from his job as a headteacher, Bolton Coroners' Court heard. He also had 'problems with alcohol', according to family members present at the hearing, and Covid lockdowns made him become 'very stressed', they said. The death of two school colleagues and an illness to his father also added to his stress.

In 2020 the 50-year-old left his role as headteacher and made attempts to quit drinking by going to rehab. He worked for a community housing group and managed to do well with controlling his drinking at first but later relapsed.

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His sister, Michelle Tonge, told the inquest that Simon met with one of his daughters on December 16 for a walk around a park and he seemed like his 'normal self'. He was planning a family meal for the end of the month and said that he would 'be in touch'.

Michelle spoke to him again on the 19th when he said he had been sick off work. He had been given the antidepressant drug mirtazapine to help him sleep but he now had struggles focusing.

She messaged her brother the next day but became worried when he did not reply. She visited his house two days later where emergency services were called on a concern for welfare, and Simon was found dead in his property.

Michelle told the court that he'd never spoken about harming himself. He also never told anyone