A SENIOR Lake District councillor who died after leaping from the roof of his house confessed to a paramedic he was feeling suicidal, an inquest heard.

Paramedic Angela Webb told a hearing into the death of Jo Stephenson, the former deputy leader of Cumbria County Council, that he admitted to her he intended to kill himself when he jumped 30 foot from his Windermere home.

His widow Hilary Stephenson denied the claims but admitted her 59-year-old husband was under 'considerable political pressure' amid the controversial parking charges in the authority's budget last year.

Ms Webb, a paramedic for the North West Ambulance Service, told yesterday's Kendal County Hall hearing: "He told me he was feeling suicidal and had gone up to the third floor of the property, climbed out of a sky-light and jumped.

"He said he had been feeling depressed for two weeks but did not give any more information."

The inquest heard Mr Stephenson, a former Lakes School teacher, dialled 999 himself and told the operator: 'Come quickly, are you there? I threw myself off the roof, I tried to kill myself."

Mr Stephenson was the man responsible for looking after the purse strings on CCC and had come under-fire amid the council's decision to introduce parking charges in 11 towns including Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside and Kendal.

The inquest was told he was 'deeply distressed by personal attacks in respect to his role as a councillor'.

Mrs Stephenson said: "I think he was pre-occupied and distracted. I don't think he was thinking properly about his safety.

"As well as being very busy he was under considerable political pressure at the time of his fall."

She added there was 'no doubt' he was finding it hard to 'deliver under increasingly tight budgets'.

Mr Stephenson was taken to Royal Preston Hospital following the fall on July 4 last year and died three weeks later.

The inquest was told during his time in hospital he suffered a 'delusional episode', claimed staff were using him as an experiment and that people appeared to be zombies.

Ward manager Fiona Jones said in the early hours of July 11 swore at medical staff, jumped out of bed and lashed out with a butter knife. He also said he wished the attempt upon his life had been successful.

Medical tests revealed in the following days he suffered pulmonary embolism and a stroke. His condition deteriorated and life support was switched off on July 25.

Mrs Stephenson said: "Following the trauma of his fall he became disorientated, confused and sleep deprived. That, combined with a cocktail of unfamiliar drugs, pain and fear led to a completely uncharacteristic psychotic episode."

Delivering a narrative verdict, coroner Alan Sharp said there was not enough evidence to suggest Mr Stephenson was thinking clearly when he jumped.

But he added: "There was a culmination of matters that seem to have pre-occupied him. It is quite clear from the 999 call and evidence from the paramedic that it was not an accident and in whatever state of mind he did jump from the roof."

Afterwards, Mrs Stephenson said her husband received 'very unpleasant attacks' on Facebook for his role in the controversial parking charges scheme.

She added he was 'really worried' about the budget and there were 'vociferous complaints' to introducing parking charges in the area. 

"He felt hurt by the attacks and was surprised by them because he was very reasonable," she said.

"I honestly believe he had an accident. If he had lived I would have asked him what were you doing dancing about on the roof like Peter Pan? If I thought he was going to do anything I would have chained myself to him."