A GRIEVING man jumped to his death after his long-term partner died.

Christopher Cape lost Peter Eldekvist to a brain condition last year.

An inquest heard Mr Cape, 58, travelled to Brighton to kill himself near the cliffs on the border of Rottingdean and Saltdean, an area Mr Eldekvist used to love to visit.

Mr Cape scattered most of his partner’s ashes on Rottingdean beach months before he took his own life.

The inquest into his death, held in Brighton this week, heard Mr Cape’s body was found on the undercliff walk between the two villages.

Nearby resident Sammi Bastawi called the ambulance when he found the body while walking to get some food at about 9pm on November 12 last year.

As soon as South East Coast Ambulance Service arrived, paramedics declared Mr Cape dead, the inquest heard.

A post-mortem showed a moderate level of alcohol in his system. But no substances were detected that

could have directly led to his death.

The injuries on his body proved he fell from height, the court heard.

Pathologist Dr David Wright said he suffered injuries including a ruptured aorta.

In a statement read out in court, Detective Sergeant James Meanwell said: “His long-term partner had died and Mr Cape was broken.

“The location where he killed himself had been one of his partner’s favourite locations.

“There’s nothing really indicating that he did not fall off the cliff.”

He said there were notes detailing his intentions and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Mr Cape ran a villa in Costa Del Sol, Spain, with Mr Eldekvist.

His partner developed lesions on his bran and needed full-time care.

He died in April last year.

Mr Cape’s brother Robert said in a statement read out in court: “It must have been heartbreaking for Chris.

“He was finding it hard and difficult to cope with.

“He lived from day to day looking after his partner.”

After Mr Eldekvist died from a series of strokes, Mr Cape returned to the UK.

He was due to start a job in a jewellery shop in High Wycombe the day after he killed himself.

He bought a suit and seemed prepared to start the job, the court heard.

On November 12 he said he was going to meet a friend in High Wycombe, but receipts found in his wallet show he went to London and then on to Brighton.

In a statement read out in court his brother said: “I had no idea that he was in such a vulnerable state of mind at that point.

“I believe he planned his suicide because he left a trail to let us know about his movements.

“It became clear to us that Chris built his life on Peter.”

Assistant coroner for Brighton and Hove Catharine Palmer said: “Christopher Cape was found at the undercliff between Rottingdean and Saltdean.

“He did it knowing it would cause him to die.

“I can say with confidence on the balance of probabilities that Mr Cape did take his own life.

“I will conclude his death as suicide.”