Coroner's inquest heard on Tuesday.

But it was clear that Rudolf E. Blyden, of Easedale Lane, Warwick planned his death which pathologist Dr. John Winwick said was due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Mr. Blyden was found dead in his car outside his house on April 16, 1993. His wife, Phyllis, told Coroner the Wor. Charles-Etta Simmons that her husband had been seriously ill for six months. And in the last week before his death, he showed a great deal of depression.

"He picked me up from work and we went home,'' Mrs. Blyden said. "And he told me he was going to cook his favourite dish. We sat on our bed and talked about the old times.

"I told him I was going to see one of my friends in the neighbourhood who I visited every Friday night.

"Before leaving he mentioned our other daughter who died of cancer a few years ago and when I asked why he brought her up, he just smiled.'' She added that after realising her friend was not home she went to play bingo.

"After returning home I went in to the bathroom and heard the car engine running. I went into the bedroom and noticed there was a dummy under the covers wearing my straw hat. It looked as if someone was sleeping.'' Mrs. Blyden said that she ran outside to the car and saw her husband lying in the back seat. A hose ran from the exhaust to the rear passenger side window.

She called out his name and attempted to get him out but all the doors were locked.

"I ran back in the house and called my children, and a friend of the family who was able to get my husband out of the car by breaking a window.'' Mrs. Blyden added that she found an empty alcohol bottle in the trash which had been full before she went out.

Family friend Mr. Purnell Brangman said he knew Mr. Blyden had a problem with his liver due to drinking.

"After getting Mr. Blyden out of the car and pulling the hose out, I put him on the kitchen floor and felt for a pulse,'' Mr. Brangman said.

"When I couldn't feel one I pushed on his chest and food started coming out of his mouth. The ambulance and Police arrived.'' He added: "Mr. Blyden was acting like everything was all right. He had this whole thing planned because he had moved the refrigerator in order to back the car right up against the wall so no one could get in. He did that because the back door would not lock.'' Ms Simmons ruled that Mr. Blyden died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by an act of suicide.