Pc David Rathband - the police officer shot and blinded by Raoul Moat - was found hanged, a coroner heard today.
The father of two's body was discovered hanging from a length of material in the stairwell of his three-storey semi-detached home on Heather Lea, in Bebside, Blyth, Northumberland, on Wednesday evening.
Officers broke into the 44-year-old's home through a back patio door after fears were raised for his wellbeing.
Pc Rathband was reported to have posted a series of messages on Twitter in the days immediately before his death.
The traffic officer, who had returned on Monday from a holiday in Australia, was reported to have tweeted "RIP PC Rathband" and that he had "lost my sight, my job, my wife and my marriage" and would "say goodbye to my children".