A WALTER Mitty character who was in severe financial difficulties took his own life after checking into a hotel in North Yorkshire.

Adam Rutherford, 20, from Hartlepool told a girlfriend and his employers he had to look after his mother who was terminally ill. But an inquest at Northallerton held by senior coroner Robert Turnbull was told it was a lie.

The hearing was also told Mr Rutherford took £750 out of his girlfriend's account and was struggling to pay that back along with money he owed to his parents.

In August 2019 Mr Rutherford checked into the Travelodge at Skeeby, Scotch Corner. Staff found him the next morning.

The inquest was told he had had an argument with his mother who told him to take his belongings because she had had enough of his behaviour. She said he had changed after starting to take steroids to build himself up as a teenager.

When he approached his girlfriend she said he could not stay with her because she did not trust him. Mr Turnbull said a pathologist found evidence of cannabis and anabolic steroids in Mr Rutherford’s system.

He added: “He was leading a Walter Mitty type of life, he was in severe financial difficulty borrowing money from his parents and taking money from his partner and struggling to pay that back. He had taken time off work obtaining sick notes on the basis his mother was ill, which was not true.”

He recorded a verdict of suicide.