A prolific paedophile ex teacher who abused children under the noses of his colleagues laid out religious "symbols" before hanging himself in a shed, an inquest heard.
Merseyside Police officers were sent to check on the welfare of Brian Smith, 80, at his home in Okehampton Road, Childwall, after he failed to attend Liverpool Crown Court.
Smith had been due to stand trial over 14 counts of indecent assault against three boys between the 1960s and early 1980s, due to start on Monday, January 27.
But the charismatic abuser, who was heavily involved in the amateur musical theatre scene, was found hanging from the ceiling of his locked shed shortly after 10pm that night.
Smith, who had already pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault, had already skipped an earlier pre-trial hearing and had been arrested on warrant, telling officers he had planned to kill himself but "could not do it."
After the ECHO published news of his death, multiple alleged victims came forward with harrowing accounts of manipulation and sexual abuse; many as pupils at his workplace in Lister Drive Primary School, Tuebrook.
One female victim had already bravely reported the abuse in 1994, but Smith was cleared during a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, where he was supported by colleagues and the parents of other pupils.
Today the inquest into his death at Gerard Majella Courthouse in Boundary Lane, Kirkdale, concluded Smith had died by suicide.
Coroner's officer Liam Moss told the court: "Officers attended his address after concerns were raised for Brian's welfare after he had failed to appear as a defendant at Liverpool Crown Court earlier that day.
"After a negative search of the house was conducted, entry was forced into the shed where Brian was found hanging from the ceiling."
Mr Moss said Smith was cut down and an ambulance was called, but he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on January 28.
He said officers searching the address found no suicide notes, although he had left a piece of paper containing contact details for his next of kin and the executor of his will.
However Mr Moss said: "It was noted by officers that in a rear bedroom upstairs there were items laid out on the bed, which included a large cross, a photograph, two cards, and a religious book which was open at a particular page.
"These appeared to be symbolic in nature."
The inquest heard a post-mortem exam found Smith also appeared to have self-inflicted wounds to his left thigh and a healing wound to his forearm, although these did not contribute to the cause of death.
Toxicology reports also found no traces of drugs or alcohol in his system, and the medical cause of death was recorded as hanging.
Mr Moss also told the court that Smith had failed to attend a pre-trial preparation hearing at the crown court on May 29, 2019, leading to the issue of a no bail warrant by the judge.
He said: "When arrested on June 1, 2019, Brian stated that he had not attended court as he intended to kill himself but had not had the courage to do so.
"Brian was seen by the mental health triage team on June 2, and deemed fit and well after he stated he had no active thoughts of suicide or self harm."
Area coroner for Liverpool and Wirral, Anita Bhardwaj, said: "Toxicological analysis was negative and as such nothing overt suggests Brian's mind was adversely affected.
"There's no evidence of third party involvement or other suspicious circumstances and therefore it is more likely than not Brian carried out the act of self harm with the intention of taking his own life.
"For that reason I do conclude Brian Smith died by suicide."
Smith appeared to have been able to use his flamboyant, charismatic personality to dupe his colleagues and parents for many years, with his victims saying he was seen as very popular.
One friend from the Wirral amateur dramatic scene, who said he had known Smith for 50 years, told the ECHO shortly after his death: "For us it is just disbelief, incredulity. That was not the Brian I knew."
At Lister Drive, Smith appeared to expertly engineer situations where he could grope and kiss children between the ages of seven and 11.
Perhaps in an effort to avoid being caught, Smith appeared to stop short of committing more devastating sexual assaults or rape.
But his attacks on children were often staggeringly brazen - many occurring in his stock room in the middle of school days against children called to help him with cricket equipment or stationery.
Despite a close call in 1994, when he was cleared of indecently assaulting former pupil Angela (not her real name) after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Smith made it to the ripe old age of 80 without seeing the inside of a prison cell.
Angela later said: " "He came across as a nice, jovial, jolly man. When people noticed he paid me a lot of attention they just said he must have seen me as one of his children."
The ECHO also spoke to four other victims, including one of the three reported victims in the pending court case.
Other witnesses, although not direct victims of Smith, spoke of their memories of what with hindsight was sinister and grossly inappropriate behaviour.
