A MOTHER today spoke of how she battled to stop her son becoming depressed in the months before he jumped to his death off a motorway bridge.

An inquest heard that Philip Botterill, 27, a habitual user of cannabis, had been suffering from depression and plunged to his death on the M65 the day after he left a psychiatric ward where he was a voluntary patient.

He had also admitted to dabbling in Satanism, which he told psychiatrist Dr Shashank Chattri had resulted in low moods, the hearing was told.

Mr Botterill's mother, Eileen Rushdi, told the inquest she had become concerned with her son's mental health just before Easter in 2003.

She said he was becoming paranoid and hearing voices in his head.

Mrs Rushdi took him to see a doctor and her son, of Whalley New Road, Blackburn, eventually went into Queen's Park Hospital as a voluntary patient.

Mrs Rushdi said she spoke to her son on November 21 -- the day before his death -- and he told her he was waiting for his medication before being discharged.

She offered to go and collect him, but he said he just wanted to go home and chill.

"He always came for tea on Tuesday and he asked could he have his favourite -- roast beef," said Mrs Rushdi.

"He said 'thanks for everything mum' and that was the end of the conversation. It was the last time I spoke to him."

After the inquest, Mrs Rushdi added: "When he was well he was really kind and considerate.

"He had a brilliant sense of humour and was always the life and soul of the party.

"His depression was with him for a few years. He became more into himself, quieter and would go on long walks."

On his interest in Satanism, Mrs Rushdi said: "He didn't really dabble, he collected ornaments and read a lot about it, but I don't think it had any influence on him committing suicide."

She added: "I don't know what any parent can do to stop their son from getting depressed. I tried everything, but it just didn't work."

Her ex-husband, Mr Philip Botterill snr, said he thought Philip's problems went back to childhood when his parents separated. "He was never right after that and throughout his life he never settled," said Mr Botterill. "He was always agitated."

He said his son had tried to commit suicide previously and didn't know what he was looking for in life.

"He was like Jekyll and Hyde," said Mr Botterill.

Witnesses told how at 12.20pm on the day after his discharge, Philip was seen on the Stanhill Road bridge over the M65 at Knuzden. He was smoking a cigarette and then suddenly climbed over the railings and dived head first off the parapet. He landed on the hard shoulder of the West bound carriageway and died instantly from severe head injuries.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Philip had used cannabis in the weeks prior to his death, and psychiatrist Dr Shashank Chattri said his mental condition was complicated by the use of illicit drugs.

He said high use of cannabis is known to lower mood.

A suicide verdict was recorded.