A MAN who carried out a campaign of intimidation against his probation officer has taken his own life.

Samuel Hayes pursued the woman in a campaign of repeated telephone calls and attempted to track down her social media and home addresses.

This came after he was ordered to attend a three-year programme with the probation service after being convicted of harassing his own mother. In 2015 he was sentenced to a two-year conditional discharge.

But in August last year he was found dead in his flat in Lymington.

An inquest into his death, held at Winchester Coroner’s Court, heard the 22-year-old had left a note saying “sorry mum” before he took an overdose of prescribed drugs .

The court was told Mr Hayes had been under medication since he was six years old, and suffered from anxiety, depression and personality disorder.

At times he felt let down by the mental health services and had suicidal thoughts as well as a “clear history of taking drugs overdoses”, the court heard.

Mr Hayes’ clinical psychologist Sian Williams said the reasons for his suicidal behaviour were complex.

“He acknowledged he felt very hopeless but other times he said he engaged in this behaviour so people had to listen.

"His emotions could be very intense and could change rapidly,” she added.

The court also heard how Mr Hayes spent 12 weeks in prison in 2018 and was stressed by a dispute with neighbours.

His mother Kirsty said Ms Williams was one of the last avenues of help he had from the mental health support services.

“For Sian to come along it was a Godsend. She came too late. I wished he had met Sian two years ago,” Ms Hayes added.

Senior coroner Grahame Short, who recorded a conclusion of suicide, said Mr Hayes died as a result of an overdose of prescribed drugs.

He added: “It is clear that Sam had a troubled life and that he had an extensive mental health history. It is also clear that some of these professionals who treated him were able to help Sam and gave him support which is clearly what he needed.”