A man with a severe mental illness who died after setting himself on fire was facing eviction from his home in the months leading up to his death, an inquest has heard.
Steven Howard died on June 11 last year in a blaze at the flat he shared with his partner in Tracey Road, Thorpe St Andrew. He was 53.
Tragic details of his life leading up to the incident were heard during an inquest into his death held on Wednesday.
It was told Mr Howard was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had two lengthy stays at psychiatric hospitals - first between February and July 2020 then again between June and November 2022.
At the time of his death, he was under a community treatment order which saw him discharged from hospital on certain conditions, which would result in readmission if he did not comply.
These required him to be regularly visited by mental health workers to administer anti-psychotic medication to him.
But at the same time, he and his partner were facing eviction from their home after landlords Clarion Housing received a raft of complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour from his neighbours.
Mr Howard was alone in the property on the day, with his partner receiving in-patient psychiatric hospital treatment herself at the time.
In a statement read to the court, neighbour Craig Hipperson said CCTV from his doorbell had captured Mr Howard leaving the first floor flat shortly before 7am that morning, arriving just five minutes later with a can of petrol.
His sister, Alison Dick, told the court Mr Howard was a "dearly loved son, brother and uncle" and thanked everybody who tried to help him through his struggles.
Samantha Goward, area coroner for Norfolk, gave a brief narrative conclusion at the close of the inquest.
She said: "Steven Howard died as result of injuries he sustained in a fire he started inside his property. His intentions are not known."
If you need support, Samaritans can be reached 24/7 on 116 123. The NHS First Response Service is also available at all hours on 111 selecting option 2.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here