AN RAF sergeant killed himself by standing in front of a main line train on the track near Raskelf, an inquest heard.

John Robert Moodie, 40, who was stationed at RAF Leeming, lost his life when he was hit by the Newcastle to London Kings Cross train on September 4, last year.

An inquest jury at Northallerton decided he had committed suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

They heard that train driver John McCree Scott had seen Sgt Moodie half-a-mile in front of the train on the track near Raskelf on the East Coast Main Line.

He sounded his warning horn, but Sgt Moodie's only response was to turn his back to the oncoming train. He died from severe multiple injuries.

His friend, John McPherson, a fellow RAF sergeant, told the jury he had found Sgt Moodie to be unusually depressed and agitated on the Friday before the Monday he died, but he had calmed down and had never indicated he might wish to take his own life.

The jury also heard that on the same day Sgt Moodie telephoned his mother in Glasgow saying he wanted to go home "because the boys were going to get him", but he had not referred to this in another phone call the next day.

His sister, Lilian, said in a statement that Sgt Moodie was a father of two and he and his wife had been divorced for two years. On his last trip to his home city of Glasgow he had seemed happy.

A statement from his ex-wife said their divorce had been amicable. He had been planning to leave the RAF and move back to central Scotland and they had discussed getting back together.

The inquest also heard that Sgt Moodie had seen a consultant psychiatrist at Catterick Garrison three times during 2000. He found that Sgt Moodie did not need any treatment, although he had a tendency to be oversensitive and overreacted to everyday situations.

Updated: 11:31 Saturday, February 17, 2001