A 35-YEAR-OLD man who took his own life by stepping in front of a moving train at Lea Green railway station had been treated for schizophrenia and depression, an inquest heard.

Steven McGovern, of Page Moss Lane, Liverpool died on the afternoon of Monday, November 27 last year after being hit by a Manchester-bound train.

Coroner's officer Kevin Farrell told the hearing, held at St Helens town hall on Tuesday (June 12), that Mr McGovern had been discharged from Peasley Cross Hospital in July 2017.

Mr Farrell said: "He had a medical history of schizophrenia and depression and drug-induced psychosis and had been prescribed medication and was known to use illicit drugs."

He added Mr McGovern was "discharged from Peasley Cross Hospital in July 2017" and he was "reviewed in October and at that time wasn't acutely unwell and was warned of the consequences of using cannabis".

The inquest heard he "found this difficult to accept as he didn't recognise that he suffered from a mental illness".

On the morning of November 27, Mr McGovern had told his mother he was visiting a friend in Southport.

He later telephoned his brother several times between 11.50am and 1.21pm and was seen on CCTV riding a pedal bike close to the railway line.

"A short time later he is observed to get off the platform on to the track and appears to move before a train," said Mr Farrell.

"The driver didn't see him as he was concentrating on the approaching signals."

Mr Farrell added that police ruled "no third-party involvement" in Mr McGovern's death.

A post-mortem examination showed use of cannabis "in the short period of time before he died" and therapeutic levels of medication, with the cause of death deemed to be "multiple injuries".

Delivering a verdict of suicide, coroner Christopher Sumner concluded: "Reading the full file, I have no doubt whatsoever that Mr McGovern took his own life. He knew what he was doing and that a collision with a train at that speed would cause his death."

After the verdict, Mr McGovern's family expressed thanks to the emergency services and offered regards to witnesses and to the train driver.