A MAN found dead at a hotel in Little Waltham committed suicide, a court heard.
Daniel Templeton, 38, was discovered shortly before 10.30am on Monday, December 16, in the Channels Lodge hotel bedroom by a housekeeper in Belsteads Farm Lane.
The inquest, held by assistant coroner Eleanor McGann at County Hall in Chelmsford on Wednesday (May 7) heard how hotel staff found him hanging from a beam of the country hotel.
Giving evidence at the hearing was PC Mark Hills who was at the scene in December. He told the court there was no signs of a struggle and the death was not suspicious.
The inquest also heard how Mr Templeton, of Larkswood Road, Chingford, had looked at four different rooms and selected the one specifically based on the height of the beam on the ceiling.
He had a receipt for a strong rope in his belongings and had also used the internet to research ways to commit suicide by hanging.
"To rule this as a suicide I have to be sure that he deliberately took his own life and that he intended to die.
"Most importantly are the searches on the internet, he researched places and ways of hanging.
"I'm sure he took a definite action that led to his death and that he did die from this action.
Mr Templeton had booked a two-person room for Sunday (December 15) night via email, but on arrival told staff his girlfriend would not be joining him.
However after investigations by police no trace of any potential girlfriend could be found.
A post-mortem examination concluded he had died from hanging and a toxicology report showed no signs of drugs or alcohol in his system.
