A man with a history of mental health problems did not intend to kill himself, an inquest jury has decided.

The jury of nine men and two women concluded Joshua James Alexander Hamill’s death at Flint Castle on Sunday, June 5, 2016, was as a result of misadventure.

Mr Hamill, 24, from Northampton, was found hanged at the Flintshire landmark but the jury concluded it was not beyond reasonable doubt that he had intended to kill himself.

John Gittins (pictured), coroner for North Wales East and Central, told the inquest he would issue a regulation 28 report to North Wales Police aimed at preventing future deaths.

It would centre on the effectiveness of training for officers in recognising issues surrounding individuals with mental health issues.

The coroner said while there had been some mental health training for officers, it was “one thing to have training but another for it to be best practice” and there was “more work to be done”.

He added he would also touch upon the manner in which events surrounding Mr Hamill’s death were opened after concern was shown for the safety of an individual, yet were dealt with and closed as a domestic violence matter.

Mr Gittins said he did not have concerns surrounding the actions of officers on the day Mr Hamill died as their conduct had been “lawful and appropriate”.

He added it was “reassuring” to know a document is to be circulated to all North Wales Police staff and officers detailing the lessons learned from the inquest.

The third and final day of the inquest at Ruthin heard from PC Matthew Stephens, who accompanied PC Catherine Jones to a call relating to concerns shown for Mr Hamill’s safety near to The Ship pub in Flint on June 5.

PC Stephens said he was aware Mr Hamill had made threats to self-harm and that he had told officers he had attempted to hang himself previously.

He seemed “irritated” rather than aggressive, PC Stephens said, and told officers he “wouldn’t act on anything”.

From this, PC Stephens took it that Mr Hamill “wasn’t feeling suicidal” at that time and the level of risk of harm was diminishing.

He found this “reassuring” and “at no point” did Mr Hamill say he was going to harm himself.

PC Stephens said while Mr Hamill entered and re-entered the pub, officers continued to monitor his behaviour as they “didn’t have the full facts”.

An “agitated” Mr Hamill told them: “I’m fine. I’m not going to do anything. Leave me alone,” PC Stephens said, and he felt that Mr Hamill’s declaration that he would put his tongue on train tracks and his behaviour was designed to get a reaction from his girlfriend, Emily Johnstone.

PC Stephens said Mr Hamill’s language became more aggressive towards Miss Johnstone but at no point did it reach a situation whereby he could be arrested, the officer said.

Asked by Mr Gittins if at any point he felt Mr Hamill needed to be detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act, PC Stephens said: “Not on that occasion, no.”

The inquest was told an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation into Mr Hamill’s death found there was “insufficient evidence” to suggest officers could have done more.

A statement from North Wales Police Chief Inspector Sharon McCairn said removing Miss Johnstone from the scene as a priority meant it was “not necessary” to arrest Mr Hamill.

A transcript of CCTV recordings indicated Mr Hamill was last seen alive entering Flint Castle at about 6.50am on June 5.

Speaking to the Leader following the conclusion, Mr Hamill’s grandfather, Chris Candlish, said: “We are content with the conclusion.

“We wanted to heighten the awareness and even just a little bit can help someone in a similar situation.

“We will be following the regulation 28 reports with interests as we believe they are very important.”