Ampleforth College groundsman of 25 years took his own life in school workshop

Andrew Cornforth, 50, believed that fewer families would send their children to the Roman Catholic independent school, which would lead to him losing his job.

An inquiry into child sexual abuse at the school that concluded in 2018 found there was a widespread culture of tolerance of the behaviour and that the monks of Ampleforth Abbey were 'evasive' with police and social services when suspicions were raised about members of the Benedictine order. Earlier this year, former monk Peter Turner, now 80, was jailed after admitting 14 charges relating to indecency, some of which took place at Ampleforth College.

Mr Cornforth's anxiety over job security was heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic - when he believed there would be further falls in pupil numbers that would put staff at risk of redundancy - and he committed suicide in a workshop near the cricket pavilion on April 14, at the height of lockdown.

His wife was aware of his history of anxiety and depression and he has been prescribed medication but other members of the father-of-two's family did not know about his mental health struggles.

Mr Cornforth, who lived in Kirkbymoorside with his family, had worked at Ampleforth - a co-educational boarding school attached to Ampleforth Abbey - for 25 years and worried he would not be able to find work again if he lost his job.

His sister Denise Whitehouse and his niece, Natalie Travis, attended an inquest into his death held in Northallerton today (August 10). A representative of Ampleforth College was also present.

Mr Cornforth's body was discovered in a barn used by the grounds maintenance team by the school's security manager Barry Wilson, who had seen his car parked outside after he was supposed to have finished work on April 14. Other members of staff were called and they attempted to resuscitate him, but he was later pronounced dead when emergency services arrived at the scene.

In a statement read by North Yorkshire coroner Robert Turnbull, Mr Cornforth's wife Deborah said the couple had been together for 19 years and that he had worked at Ampleforth since the age of 25.

"He was anxious about his job if the students left," the statement read.

"I reassured him that he was still working through lockdown and that we would get through it. We rang his GP, who increased his dose of antidepressants and also prescribed diazepam. We were told it would be three weeks before the medication had an effect.

"He had had depression before, in 2014 when his old manager retired. Andrew was his deputy and there was an expectation that he would take over, but he did not want the responsibility.

"He had another anxious spell in October 2018; he carried on as normal but he did lose a lot of weight. He was constantly worrying about his job - the school has had bad publicity recently and he thought parents would stop sending their children there. He lacked confidence and thought he would struggle to find another job. He did not like change and he did not value himself as others did.

"He had some friends - his best friend is a nurse who works in Harrogate - but life takes over and he didn't see them a lot. He didn't really drink but he was complying with his treatment and we would talk until the early hours."

Mrs Cornforth added that they had spent 'lovely family time' together on the weekend before his death, although he was quiet and 'a bit shaky'.

On the day of his death, he kissed his wife and daughter goodbye and told them he loved them. The couple texted at lunchtime and he told his wife he was fine. Mrs Cornforth became worried when her husband had not returned home by 5,30pm and did not respond to her attempts to contact him.

"He had never tried to harm himself before. He was loved by a lot of people. It's so frustrating that we got him the extra help he needed, but he did this before the medication could take effect."

Mr Cornforth's GP of 20 years said he had first presented to him with mental health issues in 2013, when he was struggling with anxiety and insomnia, and that his worries were related to job security. He received counselling and was prescribed medication, which he stopped taking in 2015.

His symptoms returned in 2018 and he told his GP that there had been changes at work and that he did not get on with his new manager. He was again feeling agitated and struggling to sleep, and he began taking medication again.

In February 2020, his dosage of antidepressants was increased and there was no further contact with the surgery before his death.

A toxicology report found that he had taken three times the recommended dosage of his prescribed medication on the day he died.

Mr Cornforth's sister and niece said that they believed he had planned to take his own life as he had met up with friends in the weeks before his death - which they described as out of the ordinary - and appeared to be saying goodbye. He had also made a will and purchased a burial plot.

Denise Whitehouse said: "I didn't know he was depressed - our mum didn't even know. We saw he'd lost weight, but thought it was down to fitness. He wasn't a private person and he told me most things. He's the last person I would have expected to commit suicide. I thought we were a very close family."

Mr Turnbull recorded a verdict of suicide and added: "Andrew was a coper and tried to just get on with things. He wasn't keen on having counselling and it would appear his latest bout of anxiety was related to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is very sad."