A coroner has found a Dunedin City Council employee took his own life due to the pressure of fraud allegations.
Brent Arnold Bachop died at his East Tairei home in May last year and in findings released today, Coroner David Crerar found the 49-year-old's death was self-inflicted.
Last year, an investigation into the council's missing fleet vehicles suggested Mr Bachop, who was a CititFleet Team Leader, was responsible for more than $1.5 million in fraud.
The Deloitte report detailed how Mr Bachop transferred vehicles into his name and sold them on, including some to fellow staff and councillors.
In June, the police said their investigation into the fraud had found insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone.
In his findings, the Coroner said it would be inappropriate for his inquiry to be used to determine the truth of the Citifleet fraud allegations.
But he said his wife accepted and the police acknowledged that Mr Bachop died because of the pressure placed upon him by the fraud allegations.
The coroner said it was an overwhelming issue which Mr Bachop must have felt he could not face.
