KEVIN RICHARDSON was a man obsessed with his looks.

The 40-year-old had twice had operations on his nose and was thinking about a hair transplant.

Mr Richardson rowed about it with his wife, Barbara. Two days later, on October 28, he was found dead in his fume-filled car outside the family home in Oak Lane, Whitefield.

An inquest heard that Mr Richardson had been depressed about his appearance and had received psychiatric treatment four years earlier to help him deal with his "obsessive behaviour". He suffered a breakdown in 1993 but, with the help of therapy, had made a recovery.

He later had two operations on his nose.

Mrs Richardson said: "About two or three months ago Kevin began to show signs of his obsession returning and was prescribed medication.

"On the morning after a night out with friends in Leeds Kevin was reading a paper.

"He called me over to look at an advert for hair transplants. I told him he could change his appearance but he had to sort it out in his head once and for all.

"We had a row but he said he was going to get the help he needed and that was the last I saw of him." Hours later Mr Richardson, a locksmith, returned home from Leeds and was admitted to hospital after a discussion with his doctor. Two days later he discharged himself, went home and attached a hose from the car exhaust to the interior.

A friend of Mr Richardson's son, Paul, called at the house twice in the afternoon but assumed that someone was working on the car's engine which was still running. A neighbour became concerned when he came home from work and sawMr Richardson in the car. Coroner Mr Barrie Williams praised neighbour Mr David Whalley and PC Richard Pendlebury for their efforts in trying to revive Mr Richardson. He died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Mr Williams recorded a verdict of suicide.

He said: "Mr Richardson was a man who had suffered from an obsessive compulsive illness. His actions may have been a cry for help but, realising his wife was still in Leeds and his two sons were at work, he knew he was unlikely to be disturbed. I have no doubt he did intend to take his own life."

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