A FATHER who hanged himself in a Hampshire hotel room was the fourth brother in his family to die a tragic death, an inquest heard.

Two of Donald Denton's brothers committed suicide and another was killed in a car crash.

Mr Denton, 43, took his life after suffering from a long-term drug addiction. His body was found by a cleaner, hanging on the bathroom door of a hotel room at the Travel Inn at Rownhams, on October 7 last year - the day after he had checked in.

A post-mortem examination revealed he had died from asphyxiation by hanging and found high concentrations of amphetamines in his blood.

Two letters addressed to his wife Sandra and daughter Alex - now three years old - arrived at the family's home at Runnymede Court, West End, the day after he died. US-born Mr Denton had made several earlier attempts to kill himself - including trying to jump off a balcony at his home only a week earlier.

Mrs Denton said her husband of eight years had a history of drug addiction and depression. She told the Winchester inquest that her husband's first serious suicide attempt occurred 20 days after their daughter was born three years ago.

She said: "I believe that Donald couldn't deal with the responsibilities of having a child and he tried to gas himself in the car. We had financial problems too - because of his addictions to amphetamines and cannabis.

"I tried to control the situation as best I could but he soon made other attempts to take his life."

She added that it was only after she had conversations with Mr Denton's family that she realised the extent of the problems.

She said: "Donald was the youngest of six brothers - three of whom had fought in the Vietnam War.

"Two of the Vietnam War veteran brothers killed themselves, one by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

"The third brother was killed in a traffic accident, after driving under the influence of drink and drugs.

"These brothers all came back from the Vietnam War with serious drug problems."

Sergeant John Heinson said that a week before Mr Denton hung himself he had tried to jump off his flat balcony and police negotiators spent hours trying to talk him down.

He said: "It was my understanding that Mr Denton was drunk and he said he wanted to kill himself."

Deputy Hampshire coroner Simon Burge said that in the letter to his young daughter Mr Denton had begged her not to make the same mistakes that he had made.

In recording a verdict of death by suicide, Mr Burge said: "This is a particularly sad case of a man who had chronic drug problems and depression."