A 48-YEAR-old man attacked his sister before bleeding to death from self-inflicted razor wounds, a coroner?s inquest in Okehampton heard last week.

The inquest heard that Ilce Vukov, known as Iko, suffered from depression after he first arrived in Great Britain from Macedonia in 1992.

He had worked with his sister, Vanga Pollock, at her town centre bistro, Cellars, but later left the business.

Coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland heard that initially Mr Vukov made a ?100% recovery? mentally, but started to relapse, ?slowly descending into depression? before his death on November 9 last year.

The inquest heard that Mr Vukov had been treated at the Coombehaven Unit at Exeter.

Dr Jez Roberts said that on admission to the unit, Mr Vukov admitted having suicidal thoughts but after several days of treatment was no longer considered a suicide risk, although he still had ?significant depression with agitated features?. At no time was Mr Vukov considered a danger or threat to others, he said.

On the evening of Sunday November 9, Mr Vukov, home from Coombehaven for the weekend, went to talk to Mrs Pollock at her home in Berryball Close, Okehampton.

In a statement to the inquest Mrs Pollock said Mr Vukov had started to attack her, cutting her and attempting to strangle her. She said she was scared for her life and was desperately trying to stall for time.

She said she could remember seeing her brother cutting his own neck.

Witness Jonathan Clark said he came home on November 9 and heard shouting from Mrs Pollock?s house.

?It didn?t sound like a normal argument ? I heard a female shouting ?God help me?,? said Mr Clark, who called the emergency services. He saw Mrs Pollock stagger on the pathway outside her house.

?I could see she had cuts underneath her right jawline ? I heard her say she had been attacked with a razor,? he said.

The court was told that despite the efforts of Okehampton PCs Leigh Phippard and Gary Kellop, Mr Vukov was pronounced dead at the scene at 11.57pm.

A forensic report concluded evidence at the scene was ?entirely consistent? with information provided by Mrs Pollock.

Det Con Kim Brain told Dr Earland he was satisfied the wounds suffered by Mr Vukov were self-inflicted.

A post-mortem examination revealed cause of death was incised wounds to the neck.

Dr Earland said she was satisfied Mr Vukov died after lacerating himself in the neck with a razor blade.

?He had suffered from depression ? I therefore bring in a verdict that he took his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed,? she said.