Debts led vincent ma to jump from discovery dock

"I thought he was very charismatic, a gentleman, not quiet or reserved, and was asking how the market was," she told Poplar Coroner's Court on Wednesday.

"He took a lot of interest in the property, was looking in the wardrobes for storage space and sitting in the furniture. I thought he was interested.

"On the 10th floor apartment he looked out on the balcony on both sides, one facing the water and one the courtyard."

The pair then visited an apartment on the 17th floor but when Vincent noticed the only balcony was over water he said he was more interested in the last flat.

"The interior wasn't as nice and he said he didn't like it as much," said Ms Taylor. "I believed him."
Once back at the 10th floor, Vincent said he wanted to call his flatmate to talk about the property.

"I heard the dialling tone, like he wasn't getting through," she said. "I turned away and when I turned back he was on the balcony. He had climbed out and was facing me, holding on. He didn't say anything and there was no eye contact.

"I stepped forward and he let go. I ran to the edge but by the time I got to the balcony he was on the ground."

Police arrived at the scene, followed by paramedics. After he was pronounced dead, police officers found two notes on him saying to call Alison Gold and that he had a message for Alison on his laptop.

Police went to his house and found two documents, containing suicide notes open on his laptop, one called "Ali.doc" and the other titled "all.doc".

One of the officers on the case, PC Andrew Barratt said he concluded there was no suspicious circumstances and no third party were involved.

Vincent , who had broken off contact with his family in Blackpool around three years before he died, lived in Nightingale Mews, E11, and was a creative director.

His friend Alison, another director at his company, said she became suspicious about Vincent's money problems in 2006 after he asked her to sign a series of personal loans from the company.

After meetings with Vincent and another director it was decided that Ms Gold would look into his finances to try to help.

"He was in considerable debt to credit card companies and had a bank loan," she told the court.
"He had a good lifestyle. Expensive clothes, nice restaurants, and it had all accumulated."

Also, when helping a friend to start a computer business, Vincent signed a £15,000 loan agreement for him, but was saddled with all the repayments when his friend left the country.

Vincent confided in Ms Gold that he thought he had had a breakdown and could not handle credit card companies calling and asking for repayments.

She took on the role as his accountant but matters took a turn for the worse when Vincent's flatmate found him attempting to take his own life. He called an ambulance and Vincent was admitted to hospital.

After consulting a doctor, Vincent's company sent him to The Priory. He was released from there after five days but returned for regular assessment.

Over the course of the next year Ms Gold became much more reassured by Vincent's behaviour.

Even up to Christmas 2007 he was showing no signs of depression and went on the company Christmas trip to Paris which he helped organise.

He spent Christmas Day with friends and Ms Gold next saw Vincent on January 2, which turned out to be the last time. Vincent called in sick from work the next few days with flu before arranging the doomed viewing at Discovery Dock.

The coroner, Doctor Andrew Reid, ruled the case as suicide.