The body of a popular motorcyclist from Barry was found nearly a year after he went missing, an inquest has heard.
Christopher Buckler, formerly known as Chris Jones, was 29 when he was last seen by his ex-partner.
Originally from the Cardiff area Mr Buckler moved to Barry during his teenage years, and was a member of the The Laughing Lunatics motorcycle group.
The group came together en-masse to give Mr Buckler the huge send-off they said he deserved at his funeral last year. You can read more about that here.
Mr Buckler, of Dorothy Close, Barry, was last seen on June, 30 2019 by his ex-partner Kerry Ann Riggott.
On Wednesday, June 2, an inquest held at Pontypridd Coroner's Court was told the relationship had been turbulent for a while before the father-of-two disappeared.
Ms Riggott provided a statement to the coroner explaining the couple had been together for around five years before the relationship came to an end not long before Mr Buckler went missing.
The inquest - held at Pontypridd Coroner's Court - was also told the couple had two children together. However in a statement, which was read aloud at the hearing, Ms Rigott she said Mr Buckler wouldn't react well if things weren't going his way during an argument.
Summarising the statement Coroner Graeme Hughes said: "The relationship was turbulent. He said he was going to kill himself."
In the statement she also said she received a message from Mr Buckler, which read something along the lines of he was "done with life".
"The last time I saw Chris was June, 30 2019," the statement continued. "He came to the house. He started to pack a bag full of clothing which he left behind."
Mr Buckler also had a history of depression and had expressed suicidal thoughts in the past.
The inquest was told that on March 7, 2020, a passer-by came across some human remains in Barry when he was walking in a secluded woodland area.
Human bones were said to be found, including a skull, and there was a rope also found nearby at the scene.
South Wales Police were called to the scene, and the remains were later confirmed to be those of Mr Buckler. Before the remains were found it was said extensive searches were carried out to try and find Mr Buckler, including helicopter searches and searches of CCTV.
At one point it was even thought Mr Buckler may have been spotted in Porthcawl, but this was never able to be confirmed as the quality of the footage was too poor to know for definite.
Mr Buckler's mother, Catherine Smith, also provided a statement to the coroner. Summarising her evidence, Mr Hughes told the hearing Mr Buckler was raised in the Cardiff area before later moving to Barry.
The inquest was told when he was younger Mr Buckler experienced behavioural and anger issues, and was later diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
He moved out of the family home during his teenage years and the last time Catherine spoke with her son was around four years prior to his death.
Summarising the evidence provided by Ms Smith, Mr Hughes said: "Following that time I didn't see much of him, but I did bump into him around four years ago. It was a pleasant meeting. This was the last time she saw Chris."
Ms Smith also wanted to pay a special thank you to all at Laughing Lunatics motorcycle group who helped make the funeral so special. She said the family really appreciated the support at the time.
Pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbeater also provided evidence at the hearing. He confirmed there was no evidence to suggest any other person had been involved in with Mr Buckler's death.
He proposed the medical cause of death should be recorded as "indeterminate" - something coroner Mr Hughes accepted when making his conclusion.
Concluding the inquest, Mr Hughes added: "I will record this. Some time on or after June 30, 2019 Christopher Buckler was found dead in an area of woodland. He was found by a passer-by on March 7, 2020.
"I am satisfied having listened to all the evidence I have received that Chris acted deliberately and acted alone on or around June 30, 2019.
"On the balance of probabilities he wanted to cause the action of his own death. I reach a conclusion of suicide."
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