A 21-YEAR-OLD killed himself by jumping into the canal after suffering with mental health problems, an inquest heard.

Preston Coroner’s Court heard the body of Muhammad Umar Abid was found in the early hours of Christmas Eve last year at Eanam Wharf in Blackburn.

Coroner Richard Taylor said Mr Abid had been dropped off in Blackburn town centre by his mother at 4.45pm the day before. She thought he was going to the cinema.

Toqeer Hussain said her son had suffered from mental health problems and epilepsy from an early age.

She said: “Dealing with epilepsy in taking medication had a huge effect on his life and he felt singled out because of that. It affected his confidence and he felt isolated.”

Mr Abid’s sister received a call from her brother after he was dropped off and he sounded ‘panicked and scared in his voice’.

Mr Taylor said: “His sister clearly had no idea what he intended to do.”

The inquest heard at around 9pm a friend of Mr Abid, of Burlington Street, Blackburn, received a message from him reading ‘see you in hell’.

CCTV footage uncovered by police showed Mr Abid first went to the canal at around 10.30pm and he sat beside it.

After leaving for a short while he returned and at around 12.20am he ‘quickly ran forward towards the canal and jumped’.

A mobile phone, glasses and alcohol bottles were found next to the canal.

The inquest heard Ms Hussain was woken up by another son on Christmas Eve telling her that he had been ‘constantly ringing’ Muhammad’s mobile phone and it was eventually picked up by police.

A statement from investigating officer Fiona Jackson said she spoke to his family and found Mr Abid had ‘struggled since finishing college to find a job’.

Counsellor Shehnaz Khatana had met with Mr Abid after he referred himself to an NHS service in October 2016 and again in May 2017.

At that time he had ‘fleeting thoughts of harming himself but no current plans to do so’, the inquest heard.

He also used the service again the month he died and had ‘thoughts of being better off dead’, Mr Taylor said.

Mr Taylor said Mr Abid had self-harmed, had thoughts of jumping in front of a train and previously had to be restrained when he visited the canal in 2017.

A statement from Ms Hussain said: “I don’t know what he intended to do but something clearly wasn’t right.

“After that I tried not to let him out of my sight. I was worried about him.”

A toxicology report found anti-epilepsy drugs and alcohol in his system, but both only a small amount, and ‘there were no signs of violence or third party injuries’.

Mr Taylor said Mr Abid had ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ tried to take his own life and recorded a verdict of suicide.

He said: “He died on December 24 near Eanam Wharf having gone into the canal.

“The canal at that time on December 24 would have been exceptionally cold.

“It was clearly a decision of his to go into the canal.”