The widow of former Wales manager Gary Speed tearfully revealed that in the days before he died he had 'talked in terms of taking his life' in a text threatening suicide.
Louise Speed, 40, made the revelation during the inquest into the former footballer's death at Warrington Town Hall in Cheshire.
But coroner Nicholas Rheinberg returned a narrative verdict, saying: 'The evidence does not sufficiently determine whether this was intentional or accidental.'
Mrs Speed also today admitted that she stormed out of their house after an argument and spent the night in the car hours before he was found dead.
She described to the inquest how they had 'had words' the night before he was found hanging in the garage. She said: 'We walked in the house and we had an exchange of words about something and nothing.'
'I suggested I would go for a drive. He blocked the back door and said "You are not going anywhere",' she added.
'I went upstairs and lay on the bed for probably about five or ten minutes. Then I decided to go for a drive, to clear my mind (and for) space to think.'
The inquest heard Mrs Speed drove to the 'top of the road' and tried to ring her husband's mobile. She parked up for a short time before driving back to the house at 1.30am. She tried to phone again but he did not answer.
She had left the house through a 'self-locking' side door, and found she was locked out when she returned, coroner Rheinberg heard.
Mrs Speed slept in the car before attempting to gain entry to the house again the following morning.
After getting some sleep in the vehicle she told the hearing she woke up at about 6am and went to the outside bathroom.
She said she noticed some shed keys missing which were usually stored there and went to the shed to see if Gary was there, before moving to the garage.
The widow broke down in tears as she described walking to the rear of the of the house and seeing her husband's body suspended on stairs from through the garage window.
After a brief pause to recover her composure, Mrs Speed said: 'I could see him on the stairs. His toes were in contact with the step.'
She said she then woke their two teenage sons to open up the house and called the emergency services.
On their advice, she cut her husband to the ground as paramedics were dispatched to the luxury ?1.5million home near Chester on November 27.
The couple had spent their last evening together at a dinner party at a friend's house where Mr Speed and the other men had jumped into the swimming pool.
Mr Rheinberg described their behaviour as being 'over-boisterous' but Mrs Speed said that was 'quite normal' and said the evening had been 'all good fun'.
The couple had arranged to leave their car at the house because they planned to drink, and were taken home at around 12.45am by a pre-arranged taxi. But shortly after they returned home the couple had 'an exchange of words about something'.
When asked by Mr Rheinberg if there had been 'some degree of stress with the relationship at this time', she agreed and said there had been 'ups and downs' in their marriage.
Mrs Speed said her husband was forced to spend a lot of time away from home as Wales manager.
Wearing a grey trouser suit and pattern scarf, Mrs Speed said management and coaching, first with Sheffield United and then Wales, had put 'something of a strain on him'.
The Welsh role was supposed to be part-time but he was spending 'more time there (at work) than the 'family man' thought he would.
Mrs Speed agreed that 'for both of us it was difficult', with periods travelling abroad adding to his 'separation' from his family.
The coroner asked: 'Would it be fair to say there was some degree of stress with the relationship at this time?' and Mrs Speed agreed.
She added: 'Like all couples we would be going through ups and downs in our marriage and we were working through it.'
Speaking in hushed tones, she added: 'He was a somewhat closed character.
'He liked to take on board everyone else's problems and try to help but was not one to open up himself. He was a very private person in a very public role.'
The day before he died, the 42-year-old former footballer had appeared happy and optimistic during an appearance on the BBC1 show Football Focus.
Dan Walker, the presenter of Football Focus, spent four hours on and off camera with Speed the day before he died and he said he was left stunned by the tragedy.
Speaking in the days after the death, he said Speed had been 'as bubbly as I have known him...It's awful to think that someone who was so gifted and so well liked with the rest of his life to look forward to has been so cruelly removed.'
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer told the inquest that the death of his friend made no sense.
He said Speed did not appear to be worried about anything when they last met, just hours before his former team-mate was found dead.
In a written statement, Mr Shearer, who did not appear at the inquest in person, said they were good friends and told how their families had enjoyed holidays together.
When they met up they 'let off steam and really enjoyed each other's company', he said.
On their most recent holiday, in August last year, Mr Shearer said Mr Speed was 'more relaxed this year than I have ever seen him'.
He added that he was aware of a 'couple of issues' between Mr Speed and his wife on the holiday.
'My response was that is usual in a relationship that is so long-standing,' Shearer said in his statement.
'I think he took the advice well as his words were that he was "going to give it a go'" and "stick in there".
Mr Shearer said he last saw Mr Speed at the BBC studios on the Saturday before he died.
'He seemed fine, laughing and joking,' he added.
The pair talked about playing in an upcoming charity game and planned to meet up with their wives beforehand.
Then they watched the Stoke and Blackburn game together, 'chatting away normally', Shearer said.
'Gary didn't appear worried about anything,' he added. 'Gary seemed to be enjoying his job as Wales manager and coped with the pressure well.
'He knew what it was like beforehand and some part of him liked to work under pressure. When I left the studio on that Saturday I expected to hear from him on the Monday.
'On Sunday I got the phone call telling me Gary had died. I didn't believe it. I was shocked. Gary is probably one of the last people out of my million friends to ever do that.
'I had only seen him the day before and he seemed fine, we had plans for the following week too. It just didn't and still doesn't make sense to me.'
Gary Speed inquest: Wales boss 'texted wife about killing himself' | Mail Online
May be just me but a lot of things don't sit right with these statements.
Louise Speed, 40, made the revelation during the inquest into the former footballer's death at Warrington Town Hall in Cheshire.
But coroner Nicholas Rheinberg returned a narrative verdict, saying: 'The evidence does not sufficiently determine whether this was intentional or accidental.'
Mrs Speed also today admitted that she stormed out of their house after an argument and spent the night in the car hours before he was found dead.
She described to the inquest how they had 'had words' the night before he was found hanging in the garage. She said: 'We walked in the house and we had an exchange of words about something and nothing.'
'I suggested I would go for a drive. He blocked the back door and said "You are not going anywhere",' she added.
'I went upstairs and lay on the bed for probably about five or ten minutes. Then I decided to go for a drive, to clear my mind (and for) space to think.'
The inquest heard Mrs Speed drove to the 'top of the road' and tried to ring her husband's mobile. She parked up for a short time before driving back to the house at 1.30am. She tried to phone again but he did not answer.
She had left the house through a 'self-locking' side door, and found she was locked out when she returned, coroner Rheinberg heard.
Mrs Speed slept in the car before attempting to gain entry to the house again the following morning.
After getting some sleep in the vehicle she told the hearing she woke up at about 6am and went to the outside bathroom.
She said she noticed some shed keys missing which were usually stored there and went to the shed to see if Gary was there, before moving to the garage.
The widow broke down in tears as she described walking to the rear of the of the house and seeing her husband's body suspended on stairs from through the garage window.
After a brief pause to recover her composure, Mrs Speed said: 'I could see him on the stairs. His toes were in contact with the step.'
She said she then woke their two teenage sons to open up the house and called the emergency services.
On their advice, she cut her husband to the ground as paramedics were dispatched to the luxury ?1.5million home near Chester on November 27.
The couple had spent their last evening together at a dinner party at a friend's house where Mr Speed and the other men had jumped into the swimming pool.
Mr Rheinberg described their behaviour as being 'over-boisterous' but Mrs Speed said that was 'quite normal' and said the evening had been 'all good fun'.
The couple had arranged to leave their car at the house because they planned to drink, and were taken home at around 12.45am by a pre-arranged taxi. But shortly after they returned home the couple had 'an exchange of words about something'.
When asked by Mr Rheinberg if there had been 'some degree of stress with the relationship at this time', she agreed and said there had been 'ups and downs' in their marriage.
Mrs Speed said her husband was forced to spend a lot of time away from home as Wales manager.
Wearing a grey trouser suit and pattern scarf, Mrs Speed said management and coaching, first with Sheffield United and then Wales, had put 'something of a strain on him'.
The Welsh role was supposed to be part-time but he was spending 'more time there (at work) than the 'family man' thought he would.
Mrs Speed agreed that 'for both of us it was difficult', with periods travelling abroad adding to his 'separation' from his family.
The coroner asked: 'Would it be fair to say there was some degree of stress with the relationship at this time?' and Mrs Speed agreed.
She added: 'Like all couples we would be going through ups and downs in our marriage and we were working through it.'
Speaking in hushed tones, she added: 'He was a somewhat closed character.
'He liked to take on board everyone else's problems and try to help but was not one to open up himself. He was a very private person in a very public role.'
The day before he died, the 42-year-old former footballer had appeared happy and optimistic during an appearance on the BBC1 show Football Focus.
Dan Walker, the presenter of Football Focus, spent four hours on and off camera with Speed the day before he died and he said he was left stunned by the tragedy.
Speaking in the days after the death, he said Speed had been 'as bubbly as I have known him...It's awful to think that someone who was so gifted and so well liked with the rest of his life to look forward to has been so cruelly removed.'
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer told the inquest that the death of his friend made no sense.
He said Speed did not appear to be worried about anything when they last met, just hours before his former team-mate was found dead.
In a written statement, Mr Shearer, who did not appear at the inquest in person, said they were good friends and told how their families had enjoyed holidays together.
When they met up they 'let off steam and really enjoyed each other's company', he said.
On their most recent holiday, in August last year, Mr Shearer said Mr Speed was 'more relaxed this year than I have ever seen him'.
He added that he was aware of a 'couple of issues' between Mr Speed and his wife on the holiday.
'My response was that is usual in a relationship that is so long-standing,' Shearer said in his statement.
'I think he took the advice well as his words were that he was "going to give it a go'" and "stick in there".
Mr Shearer said he last saw Mr Speed at the BBC studios on the Saturday before he died.
'He seemed fine, laughing and joking,' he added.
The pair talked about playing in an upcoming charity game and planned to meet up with their wives beforehand.
Then they watched the Stoke and Blackburn game together, 'chatting away normally', Shearer said.
'Gary didn't appear worried about anything,' he added. 'Gary seemed to be enjoying his job as Wales manager and coped with the pressure well.
'He knew what it was like beforehand and some part of him liked to work under pressure. When I left the studio on that Saturday I expected to hear from him on the Monday.
'On Sunday I got the phone call telling me Gary had died. I didn't believe it. I was shocked. Gary is probably one of the last people out of my million friends to ever do that.
'I had only seen him the day before and he seemed fine, we had plans for the following week too. It just didn't and still doesn't make sense to me.'
Gary Speed inquest: Wales boss 'texted wife about killing himself' | Mail Online
May be just me but a lot of things don't sit right with these statements.
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