A PENRHYNCOCH man drove to Nant y Moch reservoir and jumped over 170 feet to his death after leaving a note explaining he had “had enough of being in pain day and night”, an inquest has heard.

The body of 62-year-old David Arwyn Williams was found on 20 February at the base of the dam, after his sister Llewela called police after finding a note when she woke up, the inqu­est at Aberystwyth heard.

Mr Williams had driven to the dam in weather described by police as “atrocious”, locked his car and left it on the dam wall before jumping 174 feet to his death.

He was found at the foot of the dam by police officers following a search of the area after his car was discovered.

Llewela, who lived with Mr Williams in Penrhyncoch, told Ceredigion coroner Peter Brunton that apart from eczema and dermatitis that caused him pain, her brother “appeared fine”.

“There was no indication of any worries,” she told the inquest.

“I had been urging him to go to the doctors [for his dermatitis] but he wasn’t taking any medication for it.”

Llewela said she had woken at 9.30am on the day of her brother’s death to find his black Peugeot 308 gone and a note on the table exp­laining his intention to kill himself.

The note, written in Welsh, said: “I’ve gone up to the dam at Nant y Moch. I won’t be coming back. I have had enough of being in pain day and night.”

Mr Brunton said that the “stark simplicity” of the note left him in “no doubt that Mr Williams intended to take his own life”.

The fall would have made Mr Williams’ death “instantaneous”, the inquest heard. He died of “multiple injuries to all major organs­” and “substantial fractures”.

Offering his sympathies to the family present at the inquest, Mr Brunton said the case was “unique”.

“I have never had a case where someone has gone to Nant y Moch dam,” he said.

“Let’s hope it is the first and last time it happens.”

Mr Williams, who lived in Penrhyncoch, was a well-known rallying enthusiast, who worked for the Cambrian News and Cambrian Printers in Aber­ystwyth for over three decades.

Mr Williams started at the Cambrian News in 1969 and completed his apprenticeship in 1974, worked for the Cambrian News until 1993 when the two companies split, and worked for Cambrian Printers until October 2005.

Mr Brunton recorded a verdict of suicide.

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