A MILLIONAIRE businessman killed himself after he suspected his wife of having an affair, an inquest heard.

Phil Smith had moved out of the £1.5 million home he shared with wife Violetta and their three daughters a few days before his death after he saw her with another man.

The 52-year-old broke down in tears in his office when he told his adult daughter from his first marriage, Khianna, what he thought was going on.

The next day, after meeting friends for dinner, he turned off the tracker in his Range Rover and drove 37 miles to a rural holiday chalet where he hanged himself from a roof beam.

Police had to use checkpoints and his mobile phone to track his movements before they found his body on February 2.

The inquest heard Mr Smith was hardworking and dedicated, a managing director of Orbis Software, and had built his own home - a large detached property with a swimming pool next to Ferndown Golf Club.

He had two children from his first marriage, and after that relationship broke down he met his second wife Violetta. They had been married nearly 13 years.

Mr Smith suffered a stroke in 2012 which affected him both physically and mentally. He suffered with pain and depression.

The inquest in Bournemouth heard that after the stroke he became paranoid that his wife was having an affair.

Mrs Smith said: "We had been living together but we were bickering and arguing so prior to his death Phil moved out and stayed with friends, the Sunday before he died.

"We had discussed divorce last July but decided to work through our issues. He said he loved me and couldn't imagine life without me."

Mrs Smith said there was no affair, her husband had imagined it.

His daughter Khianna, who worked with her father, said: "He believed he had seen her with somebody else. He came into work on the Tuesday and just broke down in tears. He said he drove to Dorchester and saw Violetta with another man.

"On the Monday he went to see his divorce solicitor to draw up divorce financial status and the week before that we were viewing flats for him to move into. As far as he was concerned the relationship was over.

"He loved her to bits but he couldn't see a future."

Rachael Griffin, the Dorset senior coroner, recorded a verdict of suicide. She said: "Phil was very popular, well liked and much-loved. He was a devoted family man and devoted to his career.

"He had troubles at home. He never specifically talked about any plans of taking his own life but had talked in the past about not wanting to be here."