FORMER Welsh Government minister Carl Sargeant was found hanged at his home by his wife, a coroner’s court has heard.

The 49-year-old was found dead last Tuesday by his wife Bernadette, four days after being removed from his role as cabinet secretary for communities and children.

The father-of-two, from Connah’s Quay was suspended from the Labour Party over allegations of “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping”.

Mrs Sargeant had gone downstairs and found a note on the door of her utility room in her husband’s handwriting advising her not to enter but to call the police, Ruthin Coroner’s Court heard.

John Gittins, the senior coroner for North Wales East and Central, giving details at the opening of the inquest into Mr Sargeant’s death, continued: “Nonetheless she did go in and found her husband on the floor after an apparent act of self-harm.”

Efforts to resuscitate him continued by Mrs Sargeant and family members along with paramedics until life was pronounced extinct.

A provisional cause of death was given as hanging.

Mr Gittins said his inquest will not consider the truth of allegations made against Mr Sargeant or making adjudications on “who is right or wrong”.

Last week Carwyn Jones, who has refused to bow to pressure to resign, announced an inquiry would be held into the circumstances leading up to Mr Sargeant’s death, but not before an inquest was held.

Speaking at a press conference last week, the first minister said Mr Sargeant had “served his country with distinction”.

But he declined to answer questions, adding: “Everybody is grieving and it is not appropriate for me to get into the precise detail.

“These are matters for the future, things that will need to be properly disclosed through what should be a coroner’s inquest.”

He added: “The family deserve to have their questions answered and, if that isn’t possible through the inquest, then I will endeavour to make that happen through other means.”

Regarding calls to resign Mr Jones said: “There is a legal process to go through and I am obviously acting within that.

“I welcome any scrutiny of my actions in the future and it is appropriate for that to be done independently.”

The first minister said he believed he “did all that I could to make sure that everything was being done by the book” in acting on the allegations.

“I had no alternative but to take the action that I did and I hope that people will understand that,” he said.

Mr Sargeant reportedly did not know the full detail of the allegations against him up until his death.

Describing the Alyn and Deeside AM as “a true force of nature”, Mr Jones paid tribute to his work to pass through legislation.

“Wales has lost a person of great warmth, ability and charisma,” he said.

“These are the darkest days any of us can remember in this institution, but they are darkest of all for the family, and we must respect their right to grieve in peace at this time.”