A MAN prone to depression stabbed himself to death, an inquest heard.

The death of Paul McCarthy, aged 44, sparked murder investigations after his body was found at his Morris Street home in Tyldesley with multiple stab wounds to the chest.

But Bolton coroner Jennifer Leeming concluded that he had taken his own life.

Electrical engineer Mr McCarthy had recently moved from Boothstown to Tyldesley after divorcing his wife. He had a history of depression and had been prescribed anti-depressants.

Mr McCarthy's body was discovered by his brother Christopher on November 4.

Thorough police investigations, led by Det Supt Anthony Brett, ruled out suspicious circumstances because there was no forced entry, no evidence of a struggle and no evidence of theft or robbery.

Dr John Rutherford carried out a postmortem examination on Mr McCarthy's body and found several factors indicating that the three stab wounds were self-inflicted.

He said: "They were contained within a small area, were all in the same direction internally, the clothing wasn't punctured, there were no other markings on the body and they were all aimed at where most non-medical people believe the heart to be."