A DEPRESSED Stroud man barricaded himself into his home before taking a fatal overdose of his medication, an inquest heard.

Malcolm Ricketts, 62, was found after his worried partner and a close friend went to his home and could not open the front door.

They called police who found he had nailed wedges to the floor to prevent the door being opened.

He was lying dead on his sofa next to notes he had written saying 'do not resuscitate,' the Gloucester inquest was told yesterday.

County coroner Katy Skerrett recorded a verdict that Mr Ricketts, of Hunters Way, Stroud, committed suicide by taking an overdose of Tramadol on October 17 last year.

Pathologist Dr Linmarie Ludeman said she found therapeutic levels of two anti prescribed anti depressants in his body and a fatal dose of 25mgs of Tramadol. Levels as low as 6mgs had been known to kill, she stated.

Mr Ricketts' partner, Hilda Povey, stated that she spoke to him by phone on the evening of October 15 when she was on the way home from a friend's funeral.

She tried to ring him later that night but got no reply but she did not worry at that stage because he often took tablets to help him sleep because of back pain.

Next day she again called but got his answer machine, she stated.

Then in the early hours of October 17 his close friend Danielle Newby rang her to say she was outside his flat and could not get any answer at the door.

Ms Povey said she went to his home with her key and unlocked the door - but could not push it open.

"The door was wedged shut," she said.

"There was tape over the lock. Danielle called the police.

"They found him lying on the sofa. He had notes saying 'do not resuscitate' near his body."

Wedges of wood had been nailed to the floor to prevent the door being opened, the inquest heard.

"We had been partners for three years," Ms Povey stated. "He had back problems, family problems and I believe some financial worries. I was also concerned about his mental health."

A police report to the inquest said a walking stick was also found taped to the inside handle of the front door.

"The door was barricaded from the inside. There was no sign of any struggle," said the report.

A report from Mr Ricketts' GP practice said he had made a suicide attempt in 2007 and had taken overdoses in 2008 and 2011.

Conclusion: Suicide.