An ex-model hanged herself after an uncle who had sexually abused her was released from jail, an inquest in south Wales has heard.

Catherine Siobhan Lee's death prompted her grief-stricken boyfriend Elliott Jones, 22, to also take his own life.

John Jones: 'Concerns over police inaction'

Miss Lee, 29, of Cwmavon, Port Talbot, had been left devastated by the incidents of childhood abuse by Donald Donovan, the hearing in Neath was told.

Miss Lee, who developed a drink and drugs problem linked to the assaults, refused to be in her home alone after Mr Donovan was released.

She became anxious and reported her uncle to police on several occasions before hanging herself from the attic rafters in the bathroom last March.

The inquest was told Miss Lee had taken a cocktail of drink and drugs.

South Wales Police were accused by Elliott Jones' father of failing to tell Miss Lee that her uncle had been released from prison.

She was the only one who stood up to him and she has now paid the price

John Jones, boyfriend's father

Elliott Jones discovered his girlfriend's body after breaking down the bathroom door.

The inquest hearing was told by his father, John, that Miss Lee had been haunted by the abuse, which began when she was nine-years-old.

"She had a lot of drink and drug problems because she used to get depressed over what happened to her.

"Then her uncle came out of prison and began more or less threatening her, was what I was told by Siobhan.

"She said her uncle was more or less in sight of her - she had seen him.

"She was more agitated then because when my son went to work she would not stay in the house, she would go down to town shopping."

Det Sgt Geoff Handley: 'Donovan released months earlier'

Mr Jones tried to console his son after Miss Lee's death but, just days later, Elliott Jones had hanged himself from the same attic rafters at the house.

Coroner David Osborne said post-mortems in both cases showed that death had been due to asphyxiation due to hanging. He recorded suicide verdicts in both cases.

On Thursday, following the inquest, John Jones criticised the police handling of Mr Donovan's release.

"I am really upset. I feel something should have been done when the incidents after his release were reported," he said.

'Emotional scars'

"She was the only one who stood up to him and she has now paid the price."

In evidence, Detective Sergeant Geoff Handley said inquiries had confirmed Mr Donovan had been released from prison some months before the couple's deaths.

"My understanding is that attempts are made, and should be made, to inform the victims of a person's release," said Mr Handley. "But I am not aware if that was done in this case or not."

Announcing his verdicts, Mr Osborne told the hearing: "From the evidence it would certainly appear that Catherine Siobhan Lee bore the emotional scars of the sexual assaults.

He said evidence had shown that later drink and drug problems had stemmed from her childhood ordeal.

"She seemed, however, to cope with these problems on the whole, but following the release of her uncle, and her contact with him, obviously her condition was exacerbated."