The killer of tragic West Bromwich schoolgirl Stacey Lawrence told family members he would rather kill himself than go to prison, an inquest heard today.

A coroner concluded that Bilston trucker Darren Walker had committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree near where the body of his fiancee’s daughter Stacey was found.

Stacey, aged nine, of Bagnall Street, was the youngest of the four children of Walker’s partner Roxanne and was found murdered in the cab of his Spar delivery lorry in a lay-by in Northamptonshire on August 29 last year.

None of Stacey’s immediate family were present at the inquest today held at Kettering Magistrates Court but the brother and father of Walker were there to hear the detail of his death.

A statement read out by Stacey’s mother Roxanne said that she had never had any concerns about letting Walker out with Stacey and she enjoyed their trips together in his lorry.

The statement read: “I can’t believe on that Friday morning Darren left the home address as the man I loved and by Saturday he was the man responsible for murdering my daughter.

“He was always so kind not only to Stacey but also to my whole family. I hate Darren for what he’s done to me and my family.”

The inquest heard how Roxanne had raised the alarm with police after she had not heard from Darren or Stacey after sending them a text message saying ‘morning truckers’ on the morning of August 29.

Roxanne, who had met Darren through her older daughter’s boyfriend when he was still married had been in a relationship with him for around 18 months and they were due to marry.

In her statement, Roxanne told how Darren, a father-of-three from a previous relationship, had previously said in conversations that he would kill himself before having to go to prison.

The inquest also heard that Walker had no history of depression or mental illness but that there was no evidence that anybody was involved in his death.

Forensic scientist Robert Bone used a red rope to demonstrate to the court the knots that Walker used.