by A PE teacher took his own life after being arrested and released from custody for the second time, an inquest heard.
Devon Live reports that Paul Ruff has been suspended from his job at St Peter’s Church of England Aid School in Exeter due to being under police investigation. He was first arrested on December 12 last year, and again on February 15 this year.
No details were revealed in the inquest about the reason for his arrest. Mr Ruff, described as a ‘dedicated’ teacher, was found dead at his home on February 15 by a concerned friend.
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Exeter Coroner’s Court heard yesterday (August 1) that the 49-year-old’s family did not find out about the arrests or the police investigation until after his death. The inquest heard that Mr Ruff ‘devoted his life to training and participating in sports’.
After his arrest it was said that he believed his carer and reputation were over and that he was depressed and had admitted suicidal thoughts to a close friend. In a statement, his sister Julie Olson told how he studied sports at university and after completing his teaching qualification at Exeter he joined St Peter’s School and later became head of department. Physical education.
As a youth, he represented his county in running and as an adult, he enjoyed being a long-distance marathon runner and completed an ultra-marathon through the Sahara Desert. While visiting the USA, he is said to have found an ultimate frisbee which he brought back to the UK and trained at a school and held a national competition.
Kayaking and cycling were said to be part of his love of sport and the outdoors, and he was also a co-host of a radio show, but his greatest passion was said to be teaching. Ms Olson said: “He was dedicated to his job.
“He was the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night. He ran after-school clubs every night.”
She described him as a private man who did not discuss his private life and had never married or had children but remained ‘best friends’ with previous fiancés. She said that his mental health was ‘excellent’ and that he would encourage children to speak up if they were suffering.
She said: “I don’t know any self-harm before. He would tell me that he had the most wonderful life and that it was important not to waste a single day.”
She also said that what she knew was his various injuries and pains due to his sporting activities made him worry about being too old to be a physical education teacher, and having financial debts. Ms Olson said: “He said his salary covered his expenses but he lived well.”
The weekend before his death she recalled that he had enjoyed visiting family in West Sussex to celebrate her upcoming 50th birthday and was in a “great mood” and had given her and her mother early birthday presents , and that he had said special things to everyone.
She said in retrospect he was ‘overjoyed’ and added: “He never mentioned anything about being arrested or suspended from school.”
The inquest heard that Mr Ruff was suspended immediately after police informed the school of his arrest. The leadership team ensured that a continuous support network was put in place for him.
Colleague and friend Martin Hawker recalled that Mr Ruff appeared to be struggling during the winter months and following his arrest in December ‘around’ his mental health. He said: “His reputation was gone and work was his life.
“It was very difficult for him to see any way back. He talked about the world being a better place without him. I tried to encourage him to get help but he wouldn’t.”
Former colleague Mike Musson said in a statement how he went to Mr Ruff’s house on the evening of February 15 at 1pm because they had arranged to visit a friend’s woodland but he was not at home. He saw him again shortly after, however, after mutual friend Rob Robson informed him that he had been arrested.
He described Mr Ruff as looking ‘ashen’ and said he wanted to be alone. Knowing Mr Robson was on his way over he said he left.
Mr Musson recalled that Mr Ruff did not tell him about the police investigation until early February and said he believed it would take another three months at most and revealed suicidal thoughts. He said: “Lack of communication was making him anxious and paranoid.”
He added: “Obviously the process he was going through had a terrible effect on him.” The inquest heard that when Mr Ruff’s best friend, Mr Robson, arrived soon after Mr Musson left, Mr Ruff’s door was locked but he had a key to get in.
After he was able to find it in the house, he found it in the locked garage and asked Mr Walker to help him get in. They only managed to free the garage door and through a hole they could see Mr Ruff suspended and called the emergency services who forced entry but were unable to revive him.
A police investigation concluded that Mr Ruff took his own life and that his arrest was ‘probably’ a contributing factor. Two suicide notes were later found, one dated December 21, which indicated a decision to end life at some point in the future as well as reflections on his life and instructions after his death.
The cause of his death was asphyxia due to hanging. His medical records confirmed that he had no previous mental health history.
Following his death, a referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to the short time between his release from police custody and his death. He concluded that he had seen a mental health practitioner every time he was in custody and no concerns were raised, and refused to contact external services or agencies.
The report concluded that there was a high level of protection and said: “It could be argued that contact with the police contributed to the decision to take his life but it is difficult to see what else could have been done to protect him in the circumstances.”
St Peter’s deputy head Jonny Baker said in a statement that police had emailed the school to notify them of Mr Ruff’s second arrest and said the school had done ‘everything it could’ to support provide pastoral care. Recording a conclusion of suicide, senior coroner Philip Spinney said: “The police investigation and suspension from work undoubtedly contributed to his death.
“On the balance of probability, he took his own life and he intended to do so.” At the end of the inquest, Mr Ruff’s family thanked everyone who had supported him.
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