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Ex-painter's fireball death
A RETIRED painter and decorator who had a serious lung condition died in a fireball after deliberately setting his car on fire, an inquest heard.
Michael 'Mick' Knight, aged 63, pulled over on secluded Stone Lane, Woodhouse, and apparently ignited an accelerant- a flammable substance such as petrol - which engulfed the interior of his Fiat.
Sheffield Coroner's Court heard he fell out of the vehicle and on to the road but was dead within seconds. The charred steering wheel was found next to him, but the car rolled to the other side of the road after the handbrake melted.
Witness Ruth Nuttall told police she heard a car pull up and door slam before she saw shooting flames 30 seconds later.
Mr Knight was so badly burned he had to be identified by dental records. A post mortem after his death on June 23 found he died of burns.
Coroner Chris Dorries said low levels of carbon monoxide in his lungs indicated he died quickly.
Fire investigator Robert Baugh said the intensity and speed with which the fire spread indicated an accelerant had been lit - probably in the front passenger footwell.
The inquest heard Mr Knight, of Haxby Place, Normanton Spring, was a well regarded painter and decorator who retired to care for his wife Jacqueline after she fell ill and was confined to a wheelchair.
In a statement she said his diagnosis of lung condition COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - in 2005 left him depressed and frightened.
The court heard his depression deepened as his COPD worsened despite steroids and antibiotics. He was last seen by doctors in April.
Mrs Knight said in his last few months her husband had been "very depressed".
She said: "He was a strong, private man who never moaned about his feelings. But he did question the reasons for his ill health."
She told police that on the day of his death he took a bath, asked his daughter Claire to cut his hair and made an excuse about taking the car for an MOT.
The court heard a bank statement showed his last transaction was later that day at a garage.
Mr Dorries said the family told investigators they never thought he would kill himself because his wife relied on him. A suicide note was found in the family home.
He added: "This was not an accidental car fire, it was his intention. I'm convinced he died quickly."
Mr Dorries recorded a verdict that Mr Knight took his own life.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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