A MOTHER died of a “broken heart” a week after her son was found hanging in his East Ham home.

An inquest on Friday failed to determine how John Goodman died on Easter Saturday.

An open verdict was recorded by coroner Dr William Dolman after the 42-year-old of Ranelagh Road was discovered suspended in the hallway.

His mother Maureen Grach, 62, died a week after hearing the news.

Graham Jones, from London Ambulance Service, told Walthamstow Coroner’s Court: “There was nothing we could do. His heart had stopped, there was no breathing and no circulation.”

The former timber yard manager had been medically retired after suffering a serious car accident in 2001.

His ex-partner’s father Steven Hackett had told the court earlier that he had spoken to Mr Goodman on Good Friday. Mr Hackett came to take his former son-in-law’s son and step-daughter, who had been living with their father for three months, away for the weekend.

Mr Hackett said: “He spoke about the future. One of the last things he said to me as we left is would they want Sunday dinner.”

Mr Goodman’s family doctor Jacqueline Buscombe said Mr Goodman was troubled by recurring suicidal thoughts but he might not acted on these thoughts because of the support of his family.

Sister Michelle Summons, 46, who discovered the body, told the Recorder after the inquest: “I saw my brother every day. I went to my mum’s house on the Saturday morning and she was in a terrible state as she could not get hold of him.”

Mrs Summons then drove to her brother’s home. She said: “I looked through the letterbox and I thought something was wrong as his two dogs were sitting on the table in the kitchen. I jumped over the neighbour’s fence and went round the back. He was just hanging.

“I’ve also lost my mother to this”, added Mrs Summons. “She died the Saturday after from a broken heart.”

She also said the neighbour had heard men’s voices in the house the night before but Mr Goodman had no male friends.