A man whose computer was seized as part of a police investigation took his own life shortly afterwards, a court heard.

Lionel Lemaux , 44, had been arrested by police and released on bail three days before his body was discovered in his car on the beach near Bartons Point, Sheerness, on April 28.

An inquest at County Hall, Maidstone, heard that Mr Lemaux, of Beaumont Road, Maidstone, had suffered a suspected angina attack when he returned home from police questioning on April 25, but had refused to go to hospital.

The next day he had, according to his wife Tracy, seemed fine when he left the house early in the morning, saying he was getting some wood from a DIY store.

When he failed to return home, Mrs Lemaux reported him missing to police.

Two days later, a man walking on the beach at Sheerness discovered Mr Lemaux’s white Ford Mondeo parked there. It had a length of hosepipe running from the exhaust into the vehicle.

He stopped a passer-by and together they raised the alarm. Police found Mr Lemaux’s body inside with a note.

A post mortem found he had died from carbon monoxide poisoning. There were no drugs or alcohol in his system.

Mid Kent and Medway coroner Roger Sykes recorded a verdict that Mr Lemaux had taken his own life.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Stuart Samson told the court that inquiries revealed that Mr Lemaux had bought the pipe, knife and roll of tape at Wickes in Maidstone the day he went missing.

Asked whether he believed Mr Lemaux’s arrest and the seizure of his computer might have played a part in his decision to take his life, Mr Samson said he agreed that it had led up to what happened.

He also confirmed that, had the police case against him gone to court, it would have been regarded as a “serious matter”.