A MOTHER has spoken of her shock at her son’s sudden death.

Frances Borrer told an inquest yesterday that she did not expect her son, Gavin Prior, to die so soon.

Mr Prior, from Shoreham, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and psychosis.

He was taken to Mill View Hospital in Hove in January last year and transferred to Cygnet Hospital in Stevenage for treatment.

After four months in hospital, the 34-year-old developed anxiety and was diagnosed with depression.

The Albion fan moved back to his flat in College Place, Brighton, but he was found hanged on May 28 last year, just a month after being discharged.

Mrs Borrer told the inquest in Brighton: “He was ill but he never let on the impression that he wanted to die. I strongly believe that he knew there was hope for a better life, but maybe he gave that impression because he knew it’s what Mum wanted to hear.”

She said Mr Prior had always been “really worried” about the future and felt disappointed about not being at the stage he wanted to be at.

He had hopes of becoming a stand-up comedian, a teacher, a social worker or a journalist, the court heard.

Mrs Borrer told Brighton and Hove coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley that “some chicks find it longer to spread their wings” and the family believe he was “trying to run before he could walk” during his recovery stages.

She said she made regular daily contact with him and visited him two or three times a week.

But when she had not heard back from him for about 24 hours she “had that growing knot” in her stomach and knew something was wrong, the court heard.

She said: “As a mother I wanted to envelop him, but as an adult I needed to keep my distance and let him do his own thing. But this silence worried me.

“My last conversation with him, probably only minutes before he died, was about buying a new pair of shorts for him because I knew his were a bit tattered.”

Consultant psychologist Doctor David Gregory said it seemed important for Mr Prior to have a career which would have put a lot of pressure on him.

But he believed he still wanted to live following meetings where was “really talking about the future”.

Ms Hamilton-Deeley said: “To me this death seemed impulsive. I think what’s clear is that he was at risk. Not a risk in a way that he needed to be in one-to-one observation, but at a risk in the sense that he had a long difficult journey ahead of him. I think, sadly, it’s is most likely that he did take his own life.”

The inquest at Woodvale is expected to finish today.