RALLY driver Mark Flaherty was a four-time UK champion in the 90s.
But on January 1, 2023, the 59-year-old was found dead after a long battle with depression, an inquest heard.
Who was rally driver Mark Flaherty?
Mark started rally racing at the age of 18 before moving into rallycross three years later.
The 59-year-old made a name for himself in the 90s racing a rear-wheel drive, two-litre MKII Escort before stepping up to Supercar with the iconic Group B MG Metro 6R4.
On January 1, 2023, the racer was found dead at the top of Oracle shopping centre car park in Reading.
The coroner concluded that Mark had died from suicide and said what he did was “carefully thought out and deliberate”.
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He added: “There is evidence to suggest Mark was struggling with his mental health and had been for many years.
“This action of projecting himself over the top floor of a very tall building, knowing that he would descend rapidly and calamitously, striking a hard, immovable object – there was only one outcome that was either likely or contemplated.”
Mark was recorded as having depression in 2000 and diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder eight years later, the court heard.
On January 17, 2022, a mental health assessment recorded that Mark had "expressed regret over wrong decisions in life, described himself as being horrible and narcissistic, spoke of his plans to live in Spain, expressed desire to have therapy to address his various problems and his feelings of guilt.”
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He had a history of suicidal thoughts and alcohol problems, mental health nurse Godfrey Karambakuwa said.
What was Mark Flaherty's racing record?
Mark won two Lydden Hill Championships in 1991 and 1992, and a British Rallycross Driver of the Year award in the latter.
The following year was followed by two British Championship event wins.
He then went on to become British Rallycross Drivers Association (BDRA) champion twice – and also took on some of rallycross' biggest names in European events.
The racer returned to racing in 2012 after he temporarily stopped.competing in 1998.
For several seasons he participated in the Porsche Carrera Cup.
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
Who was Mark Flaherty's wife and did he have any children?
Mark kept his personal life private and out of the spotlight.
However, it is believed that he was going through a divorce at the time of his death, as reported by mental health nurse Godfrey Karambakuwa
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He said: “At the time of discharge, he was going through a divorce that he reported finding stressful."
It is not known if he had any children.
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