A DOTING father — who feared losing his daughter — died of a broken heart, an inquest heard.

Ryse Perry, aged 25, who was estranged from his wife Katy, was found hanged at playing fields close to Pioneer Close, Horwich, in the early hours of Monday, July 8, 2013.

The inquest in Bolton yesterday heard from Mr Perry’s father Raymond, who said his son had worries that a pending court case on the day could risk him ever seeing his daughter Macey, aged four, again.

Mr Perry senior said his son was “chuffed to bits” after getting a job two months before his death as a roofing contractor, but he had subsequently lost the job, and was facing appearing in court later that same day.

Mr Perry said: “He didn’t want to go to court, but I tried to reassure him that it was going to be okay. He was worried it would be adjourned and he was going to have to put his mother through it all over again.”

A week before his death Mr Perry moved his daughter and himself in with his parents at Leicester Avenue, and over the weekend of July 6 and 7, he had been playing with Macey in the back garden.

His dad said he saw his son leaving the house in the early hours of the morning of July 8, dressed in the clothes he was going to wear in court, and fearing for his safety went downstairs where he saw a reel of electric cable, which had been in the garden shed and found letters including one to his little daughter.

After a call to police, a frantic search then ensued to try to find his son who it later transpired had initially gone to his estranged wife’s address in Horwich.

Giving evidence, Mrs Perry said: “It was a warm night so I had the windows open and I could hear Ryse outside at about 3.20am.

"I heard him talking on his mobile and I presumed he was talking to his mother and he was crying and saying ‘I just can’t do it anymore’.

“He then started shouting my name and kicking the front door and told me to look after Macey before disappearing.”

Raymond Sherlock, from Greater Manchester Police, who examined the letters including one left at Mrs Perry’s house, said: “The main indication in the letters was that Macey be looked after and she remembered him with happiness.

“There’s no direct intent in the letters but he doesn’t anticipate being there with his daughter in the future.”

Mr Perry told the deputy coroner Alison Mutch: “As a family we think that he has died of a broken heart, thinking he might go to prison and not see his daughter again.”

Pathologist Dr David Bisset said that drugs including cocaine and mephedrone had been found in his body but not to any excessive amount and Mr Perry had died from hanging.

Ms Mutch recorded a verdict of suicide.