TROUBLED John Galvin did not know his daughter had been conceived when he took his life but the baby is now helping those who loved him most to be strong for each other.

Little Nevaeh, whose name is heaven backwards, has united Mr Galvin's former partner Amy Connor and mother Dawn Stickley in a blood tie bond that they know nothing can break.

Last week a coroner recorded a verdict of suicide on Mr Galvin who was found hanged in the outhouse of the family home in Eastleigh Road, Devizes.

The inquest in Salisbury heard that Mr Galvin, who was known as Ginge because of his red hair, had written a letter saying he had been sexually abused as a child and was also upset after he and Nevaeh's mum Amy Connor had split up.

Ms Connor said: "I didn't stop loving Ginge I just told him that I needed to leave my house to sort himself out. We were arguing a lot and it wasn't good for my son.

"I had no idea I was expecting when Ginge died but having Nevaeh has been wonderful for all of us and really brought us together."

Mr Galvin's mum said: "I don't blame Amy at all for what happened. But I would never have let it come between me and my grandchild."

The little girl has a shock of red hair and all agree that she is the image of her dad who died aged 27 on April 23. Ms Stickley said that she had wanted her son, who as a boy had been happy and always joking, to get medical help for his depression.

She said he was border line autistic but had never been formally diagnosed. She said: "I don't think he ever received the help he needed."

Mr Galvin, who was the fourth eldest of eight children, had left Pewsey Vale School at 16 and gone to work for J. Jones scrapyard in Devizes where he stayed for many years but not long before his death had moved to work for the Grist group.

Ms Connor said: "Ginge adored motorbikes and loved driving. He really liked driving the big machinery at his work. He had so many friends and everyone liked him."

There was a huge turnout for his funeral and then close to his birthday in August his family scattered his ashes at a place he loved riding his motorbike on Salisbury Plain.

Ms Connor and Mr Galvin had known each other as children but had not seen each other for many years when they met as adults in a Trowbridge pub about three years before his death.

Ms Stickley said: "He had never really been one for girlfriends but he and Amy just clicked." He moved in with Ms Connor in White Horse Way, Devizes and became close to her son. But the relationship started to falter.

At the inquest Wiltshire coroner David Ridley spoke of a letter Mr Galvin had put through Ms Connor's door. He said: "It was a hand-written letter and she instantly recognised the handwriting. It referred to an allegation of sexual abuse when 'Ginge' was young by a family member." It also included a suicide threat.

The coroner heard how Mr Galvin used cannabis and cocaine and had been prescribed anti-depressants after complaining to his GP of low moods on April 18, less than a week before his death.

A post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Matthew Flyn gave the medical cause of death as hanging while a toxicology report found Mr Galvin's blood-alcohol level to be 95mg, compared to the legal driving limit of 80mg, alongside levels of cocaine and amitriptyline.