THE family of a man who hanged himself will have to wait until the New Year before a verdict on his death is released.

Alan Gardner, 64, was found dead on August 7 after escaping from Brocklehurst ward, Priority House, Maidstone Hospital, the previous morning

Mr Gardner, of Burns Crescent, Tonbridge, had climbed out of a hospital window. His body was found by workmen on a nearby building site the following morning. He had hanged himself.

Maria Hayes-Perks, a healthcare worker on duty at the time, told the inquest at County Hall in Maidstone that quarter-hourly checks had been made on Mr Gardner

She went into Mr Gardner’s bedroom at 6.45am and found he was not there. She raised the alarm.

Hinges on the bedroom window had been tampered with which could have allowed Mr Gardner to open it wide enough to get out. He is thought to have scaled a 6ft fence to get to the building site.

On the first day of the inquest, Mr Gardner’s daughter, Caron Turner, said a staff member had told her a patient had already escaped through the window and it had not been fixed.

Cathy Champion, team leader at the hospital, said there had been violent incidents in the past where windows had been broken but on this occasion she thought the hinges had been loosened over a period of time.

She said: “The hinges are metal but with force you would be able to break them without a screwdriver over a period of time.”

When asked by Mid Kent and Medway coroner Roger Sykes whether she had come across incidents in the past in which window brackets had been damaged she replied: “You are talking about violent incidents that were out of our hands.”

Before adjourning to prepare a verdict statement, Mr Sykes told Mr Gardner’s family: “Could I express directly to you my deepest sympathies and gratitude for the information you have been able to provide.”