A GWENT computer programmer hanged himself after leaving a chilling answer-machine message, an inquest heard yesterday.

Rowland Riley, pictured, aged 68, from Mounton Road, Chepstow, mowed the lawn, tidied away his clothes, then left a message on his machine, which said: "This is the voice of Rowland Riley. Don't leave a message unless you have got a damn good medium. I cannot take it anymore."

On June 3 this year, his wife of 23 years, Lyn, rang home after a business trip to Prague and listened to the message.

She called the police, who found her husband hanging from a piece of scaffolding at the back of their house. Notes were left pinned to his body and in the house.

After the hearing, 46-year-old Mrs Riley told the Argus that they had discussed suicide together as a couple because of enormous debts built up over a dispute with the planning office of the local council.

Mrs Riley said: "My husband told me that he would not go without me, and that is why I was surprised. As a couple, we have talked about suicide for years because it was the only control that we had.

"My husband weighed up the alternatives and decided that suicide was the best option."

Mr Riley had been suffering from acute pain in his legs, which had been brought on by mini-strokes, his wife said.

According to Mrs Riley, he was determined not to be a burden on her after they had spent the last 12 years looking after her father, who died last year.

Mrs Riley said: "Everything Rowland ever did for me was out of love and not cowardice, and I miss him dearly. I am only coping by pretending that he is upstairs or down the road because I cannot face the truth."

A statement from Mrs Riley was read out at Gwent's coroners court in Tredegar yesterday.

Mrs Riley said the stress of arguments with neighbours, the council and lawyers had left him suffering from depression.

Pathologist Dr Ian Thompson said Mr Riley died from asphyxiation brought on by hanging.

Gwent's assistant deputy coroner, Wendy James, said: "For 13 years, Mr Riley had been under severe strain with disputes over boundary and planning matters. I am in no doubt that he deliberately took his own life."

Verdict: Killed himself while depressed.