The life of an alcoholic took a "downward spiral" when his relationship broke down and he was about to be prosecuted for drink driving.

It was feared that would cost him his job.

Adam Wolnysz ended up hanging himself in woodland near Dover Castle, an inquest heard today.

Extra cord found in his rucksack at the scene, like that used to kill himself, showed a degree of preparation, a coroner decided.

Assistant coroner Geoffrey Smith gave a conclusion of suicide.

He said, at the inquest at the Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone: "His relationship had broken down, he had a run-in with the police, there was a probability he was going to be banned from driving.

"He didn't attend court and there was a warrant out for his arrest.

"His life was taking a downward spiral.

"The depth of his difficulty with alcohol was such that he was unable to withstand.

"He not only intended to kill himself but did kill himself."

Mr Wolnysz was found hanged in a wooded area near a Second World War gun emplacement behind Dover Castle.

His body was discovered on a steep bank on the morning of Wednesday, April 17 this year by a walker, Christopher Roberts.

Mr Roberts immediately alerted security staff who in turn called police.

The inquest heard that Mr Wolnysz, 48, was a stonemason and a Polish national with his ex-partner and their children still in that country.

Mr Wolnysz arrived in the UK in 2012 and worked in London.

He had met a woman in Dover online.

They were together for more than a hear with him eventually moving into her place in the town's Victoria Park.

Det Sgt Ren Johnson told the hearing that the relationship broke down because of his drinking and taking drugs.

DS Johnson told the hearing that on the night of Friday, March 15 police arrested Mr Wolnysz after he drove his car erratically in Maison Dieu Road, Dover.

He failed a breath test and was charged with drink-driving.

Three days after the arrest police were called to reports of a car halfway down a bank at South. Military Road at Dover Western Heights.

It was Mr Wolnysz's car, a black Land Rover.

Two days later, on March 20 Mr Wolnysz contacted police saying he slept in his car on the Western Heights, and that three men had attacked him and dragged him out of his car.

But then he admitted he had been drinking, may have been dreaming and that this was a road accident.

Police investigated and ruled that no crime had been committed.

Mr Wolnysz then failed to turn up for his drink-driving prosecution, at Folkestone Magistrates Court, on April 3.

The inquest heard that by March Mr Wolnysz was homeless and had also been sleeping rough in the woods near the castle.

The police investigation concluded that there was no third party involvement in his death.

But DS Johnson said officers had feared that the car accident on the Western Heights indicated a previous and unsuccessful attempt by Mr Wolnysz on his own life.

Scarring on his arm also showed past self-harming.

DS Johnson added that Mr Wolnysz faced a driving ban that could have jeopardised his job.

A post mortem examination confirmed that Mr Wolnysz died from hanging.

The tests also found that at the time of his death he had 197 migrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, more than two times the drink-drive limit.

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