A top sports coach took his own life hours after being released from police custody following his arrest, an inquest heard.

Paul Ruff, 49, who was one of the leading Ultimate Frisbee coaches in the UK, was found dead at home in Exeter, Devon, on February 15 this year, writes Rod Minchin from PA.

Devon Coroner’s Court was told Mr Ruff had first been arrested in December last year and immediately suspended from his role as head of PE at St Peter’s Church of England Aided School in Exeter.

The court was not told of the nature of the allegations against Mr Ruff, but after his suspension colleagues from the school would visit him regularly.

Mr Ruff had championed Ultimate Frisbee having discovered the sport in the US, and in 2012 took part in the Olympic Torch relay.

Design teacher Martin Hawker said: “In terms of his mental health, he struggled over winter but after his arrest in December it plummeted.

“Paul felt that his reputation was gone, and his work was his life. It was very difficult for him to see any way back.

“I spent time with him trying to talk to him to find a way forward. He talked about the world being a better place without him.

“I tried to encourage him to get help – he wouldn’t.”

Best friend Robert Robson said Mr Ruff’s mental health had worsened following his arrest.

“I don’t think Paul’s mental health had been good for at least a couple of years,” he told the inquest.

“I think it mostly came to a head when he was arrested before Christmas and had not been back to work since then.

“It had a massive knock-on effect for him. He had been taking every day as it comes but at the same time, he was still getting up every day and getting on with his life.

“Paul was completely and utterly committed to his job for the last 30 years and was a really good PE teacher.”

On the morning of his death, Mr Ruff was further arrested and later released from custody at 1.45pm.

He was last seen at home by a friend at 2pm – stating he wished to be left alone.

An hour later his body was found in the locked garage by concerned friends, just a few days before his 50th birthday.

The weekend before his death he had visited family, including his elderly mother, and had not disclosed to them details of the police investigation or his suspension from school.

The inquest heard the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) was informed of Mr Ruff’s death, but found no concerns with the way the investigation was managed, or the safeguarding measures the force put in place.

A post-mortem examination gave his cause of death as asphyxia due to hanging.

Philip Spinney, senior coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, recorded a conclusion of suicide.

“Mr Ruff was under investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police and had been suspended from work,” he said.

“He had been arrested on two occasions – the first on December 12 2023, and the second on February 15 2024.

“On each occasion he was seen by a mental health practitioner and there is no evidence that Paul was suffering with an acute mental illness.

“After his arrest in December, his mental health plummeted and he felt his reputation was gone as his work was his life.

“The school recognised his potential suicide risk and put in place measures to support him. Friends and colleagues would visit regularly.”

The coroner added: “Taking the evidence as a whole I conclude on the balance of probabilities Paul took his own life and intended to do so.”