A man killed himself after his girlfriend told him they could no longer live together, an inquest heard.

Steve Donoghue stood in front of a train on the Brighton to London main line with his arms stretched out.

He died instantly after being hit by the Thameslink train.

His death came just hours after he had discharged himself from hospital following a suicide attempt the day before.

Girlfriend Vicky Parramore said the couple were going through a stormy patch in August.

She said: "We had an intense relationship and Steve was keen to settle down.

"We talked about marriage and having kids but he was pushing too fast."

She said they had met when they were both treated for depression at Mill View Hospital, Hove, three years ago.

Mr Donoghue, 31, moved into her flat in Ditchling Rise, Brighton, while she was still at university in London last year.

She moved back to be with him after he became depressed, the inquest at Hove heard.

Miss Parramore said: "We became very argumentative and were snapping at each other, although we still loved each other.

"I asked him to move out so we could have some space to try to get things back to the way they were before."

Miss Parramore said she was seriously injured in a car crash after she stormed out of the flat after an argument on August 9.

Mr Donoghue resigned from his job at a call centre a few days later.

Miss Parramore had become depressed after the crash and was admitted to Mill View.

Miss Parramore said he had "flipped out" after she confirmed that she wanted him to move out by August 27.

After she left Mill View she arranged to go to the flat on August 25 to pick up some belongings but found the door locked.

She called police after Mr Donoghue pushed a suicide note under the door.

Officers broke the door down and found he had slashed his arm and turned the gas on.

He was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital and was declared fit to leave after he was treated for his injuries.

However, staff were concerned about his mental state and persuaded him to stay in overnight.

Dr Daniel Hume said there were no grounds to detain him under the Mental Health Act because he was not threatening to kill himself or harm anyone else.

There were no further sightings of him until he was hit by the empty train at Waterhall on the outskirts of Brighton soon after 9pm the next night.

Brighton and Hove coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deely recorded a verdict of suicide.