An entrepreneur who “couldn’t deal with failure" killed himself after losing control of his business.

Jonathon Hamilton, 42, a talented design engineer from Littlehampton, was found dead at his father’s home on August 12.

Father-of-three Mr Hamilton had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis seven years ago and had been living at his father’s home in Bluebell Drive, Littlehampton, after losing control of his successful South African breast augmentation company Smart Plant and splitting from his wife Ebru Hamilton, 32.

His father Gavin Reckless, 66, who described his son as a “ball of fire, full of ideas and energy”, also said he was unable to deal with failure of any kind, especially that of his business and his marriage.

Mr Hamilton was one of South Africa’s biggest airship entrepreneurs and set up The Hamilton Airship Company in 1995.

He then went on to create a groundbreaking new design for breast implants and opened Smart Plant in 2006.

But Mr Reckless described how his son, whose talent lay in ideas not business, was forced to hand over his role in the company after he sold too many shares and lost his majority holding.

Mr Reckless said: “When he returned home he seemed quite confident. He showed no real signs of stress or trauma, but it later transpired he was very upset by Ebru leaving. He kept returning to talking about it.”

On the evening before his death Mr Hamilton, who had eaten dinner with his father and half-brother Freddy, 13, complained that his heart was racing but when Mr Reckless checked he said it was normal.

At around lunchtime the following day Freddy looked for Mr Hamilton in his bedroom but couldn’t see him. He looked again an hour later and found Mr Hamilton, curled in foetal position, dead in the alcove behind his door.

At 1.55pm an ambulance was called and police attended the scene.

Detective Sergeant Allan Pack noted there were no suspicious circumstances.

Mr Hamilton’s computer revealed that on the day before his death he had dated his will, and several letters had been written to his wife.

Mr Reckless said: “There is no question they were suicide notes.”

Coroner Penelope Schofield said: “I am satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that Mr Hamilton took his own life.”

She said she did not believe it was a cry for help.

Mr Reckless paid tribute to his son. He said: “He was a ball of fire, full of ideas and energy, but was going through horrific turmoil inside.

“His death is in keeping with his character. He would have wanted to do something spectacular.”