AN ELECTRICITY pylon painter died from electrocuting himself after transferring his life savings to his fiancée, an inquest has heard.

Having worked in the electricity industry for over 25 years, the fiancée of Lee Somers was told today by a coroner that he knew what the outcome would be when touching a pylon which sent 132,000 volts through his body.

The 49-year-old known as "Big Lee" used a key to bypass a barbed wire fence and climbed up an electricity tower before deliberately reaching out.

The assistant Berkshire coroner Ian Wade QC said: "A charge of electricity travelled through his body. He was severely burned, plunged to the ground and struck his body badly."

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Following a search through his caravan on the site, a detective discovered a note in his Alcoholics Anonymous book dated June 22 last year, which read: "Today I am free."

Having grown up in Barry, South Wales, Lee moved to Headleigh Road, Newquay in Cornwall, with his fiancee Joanne but often lived away for work using a caravan, having been a pylon painter for more than 25 years.

The professional had been working on a job for Scottish and Southern Electricity at a farm in Farley Hill, Berkshire, when he failed to turn up for work - sparking a missing person search.

His fiancée, Joanne Rolfe, became extremely distressed when she discovered Lee had transferred his life savings to her bank account, as he had done once before when he attempted to take his own life, the coroner heard.

Following a missing persons investigation, the body of Mr Somers was found at the foot of an electricity pylon.

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During the hearing at Reading Coroner's Court on Monday, November 30, Mr Wade heard how the rigger supervisor had access to a key which opened the gate to the pylon and after his death.

Following a post mortem examination, a pathologist confirmed that Mr Somers had died from multiple injuries due to falling from a height following electrocution. He had broken several ribs and had broken his spine.

The inquest heard how the recovering alcoholic recognised that when he was in the grip of drinking he could have "dark thoughts" and had made several attempts to take his own life in previous years.

In front of seven members of his family, Mr Wade confirmed Mr Somers died as a result of suicide.

He concluded: "Lee made his way up the pylon with one and only one purpose in mind, reaching out and touching the pylon. This was his world, this was the field in which he knew what he was doing.

"Lee knew, above anybody, what would happen if he touched 132,000 volts of electricity on June 23 last year. He left a note stating ‘today I am free’ and transferred across all of his assets to his fiancée so that she could be taken care of."