A court hearing in Oxfordshire has examined the circumstances surrounding a warehouse worker and father who found himself unable to continue, after an inquiry that faced considerable hold-ups of more than a year and a half.

Dean Christian Speare, residing on Leach Road in Berinsfield, was found on Sunday, October 6, 2024, after being unaccounted for for roughly four weeks.

The 53-year-old was first logged as missing on Saturday, September 7, with officers eventually discovering his remains in a forest area near the Thames Pathway in Radley.

Eighteen months on, coroner Darren Salter concluded at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court that the cause of death was self-inflicted.

The hearing took place on Wednesday, April 22, with Mr Speare’s relatives attending via video link.

The coroner explained that Mr Speare clocked in at his place of employment, a Sainsbury’s distribution hub in Oxford, at 7am on September 7, appearing normal.

Colleagues noticed nothing out of the ordinary, yet he disappeared at 11.30am and could not be traced.

The court heard that inquiries commenced after his supervisor and subsequently his relatives flagged concerns.

The logistics worker, originally from Lancashire, was recovered from the woodland roughly a month later.

Documentation from his doctor’s surgery at Berinsfield Health Centre showed Mr Speare had battled mental health issues for an extended period, with depressive illness diagnosed in 2015.

He had his leg amputated below the knee in 2015, which he said resulted in constant discomfort and made carrying out his work difficult.

After a phone appointment in July 2024 where Mr Speare mentioned feeling low, the surgery heard nothing further from him.

There were no indications in the time before this event, coroner Mr Salter remarked, adding that there may have been some level of planning involved.

The coroner referred to Mr Speare’s lengthy background of anxiety and depression.

He stated that Mr Speare wanted the outcome to be fatal, making a conclusion of suicide appropriate.

This determination came after a corrected assessment by Dr Eve Fryer from John Radcliffe Hospital, based on evidence collected at the scene.

The original post-mortem results were complicated by the lengthy interval between death and the body’s discovery.

During the inquest, Mr Speare’s wife delivered a tribute stating that he cherished his family and children deeply.

Physically and emotionally, Dean reached a stage where he could no longer carry on.

After Mr Speare’s death, acquaintances and fellow workers also recounted their recollections.

Marlene Crockett said: This is terribly sad and absolutely devastating. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

James Jameson said: I worked alongside you for a decade, five days per week.

We shared countless laughs and good moments. You were a lifelong friend, and even after leaving the position, we continued to enjoy many laughs talking about football.

I will always treasure the time we spent together.