By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 06:37 EST, 6 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:15 EST, 6 July 2012 . Tragic: Claire Peake, 39, was found hanged in her garage by her boyfriend, an inquest in Preston heard. She is pictured here at the Grand Canyon . A mother killed herself after becoming 'fixated' on An Officer And A Gentleman – the Hollywood hit which features a harrowing suicide scene. Claire Peake, 39, was found hanging in her garage by her partner Stuart Withnall on the evening they had been due to share a  Valentine's Day meal. An inquest heard how the primary school teacher had become overwhelmed with the thought of juggling work and caring for her newborn daughter. Just weeks before her death, she watched the 1982 film, starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger, with Mr Withnall. He told the inquest she became obsessed with the film, in which Gere plays Zack Mayo, a US Navy aviation officer candidate. It has a scene in which his best friend hangs himself after being rejected by his girlfriend. Mr Withnall told Preston Coroners Court: 'One night we watched An Officer and a Gentleman and I said, “That would be a horrible way to die” but she seemed fixated on the film.' The court heard that she had suffered from depression for almost a decade which appeared to worsen after she gave birth to her daughter Georgia in September last year. Mr Withnall, of Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire, said she wanted to return to work full-time but was worried she wouldn't be able to cope with being both a mother and a teacher. He said they decided she should return to work part-time. Following an interview she was offered a one-day-a-week job. However, the court was told she considered herself a failure if she did not return to work full-time. Mr Withnall said: 'I would look at her and she would look like she was slipping into a really anxious world. It was getting worse and worse. I was worried. 'She never explicitly said that she was going to take her own life. In my mind I didn't realise what she was saying until she actually died and I realised she was going.' He described Miss Peake as a 'fantastic teacher' with a loving family. Miss Peake's friend, Laura Rhodes, told the court that her friend hadn't alerted doctors to the severity of her depression because she feared they would take her baby away from her. She added: 'She felt that she was unable to go back to work full-time because she felt as though she couldn't cope and felt like she'd failed.' The court heard how Miss Peake had been given anti-depressants on and off since 2004. Movie love split: Officer Candidate Sid Worley with girlfriend Lynette Pomeroy who rejects him . She stopped taking medication while . pregnant but started taking it again in December. Two days before her . death her dosage was increased after she visited her GP in a tearful and . distressed state. Following her death, a note was found . her in pocket in which she said she was having 'dreadful thoughts'. Recording a verdict of suicide, Coroner Dr James Adeley said: 'The . evidence paints a picture of a young woman clearly very troubled. 'She was a loving parent with a newborn baby to whom she was quite clearly devoted. 'What Claire did on this day, she had . the intention to take her own life. I am very conscious of the fact that . Georgia has no mother and that is a tragedy.' Famous film: Richard Gere and David Keith, right, who plays Sid in An Officer and a Gentleman. Sid hangs himself in a motel shower cubicle after being rejected by his girlfriend .
Claire Peake, 39, had given birth to her baby girl just months beforehand .
Partner Stuart Withnall found his partner dead when he was supposed to take her out for a Valentine's meal .
She was 'fixated' by An Office and a Gentleman where an officer hangs himself in a motel, inquest hears .
For confidential support on suicide matters call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details .
By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 06:37 EST, 6 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:15 EST, 6 July 2012 . Tragic: Claire Peake, 39, was found hanged in her garage by her boyfriend, an inquest in Preston heard. She is pictured here at the Grand Canyon . A mother killed herself after becoming 'fixated' on An Officer And A Gentleman – the Hollywood hit which features a harrowing suicide scene. Claire Peake, 39, was found hanging in her garage by her partner Stuart Withnall on the evening they had been due to share a  Valentine's Day meal. An inquest heard how the primary school teacher had become overwhelmed with the thought of juggling work and caring for her newborn daughter. Just weeks before her death, she watched the 1982 film, starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger, with Mr Withnall. He told the inquest she became obsessed with the film, in which Gere plays Zack Mayo, a US Navy aviation officer candidate. It has a scene in which his best friend hangs himself after being rejected by his girlfriend. Mr Withnall told Preston Coroners Court: 'One night we watched An Officer and a Gentleman and I said, “That would be a horrible way to die” but she seemed fixated on the film.' The court heard that she had suffered from depression for almost a decade which appeared to worsen after she gave birth to her daughter Georgia in September last year. Mr Withnall, of Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire, said she wanted to return to work full-time but was worried she wouldn't be able to cope with being both a mother and a teacher. He said they decided she should return to work part-time. Following an interview she was offered a one-day-a-week job. However, the court was told she considered herself a failure if she did not return to work full-time. Mr Withnall said: 'I would look at her and she would look like she was slipping into a really anxious world. It was getting worse and worse. I was worried. 'She never explicitly said that she was going to take her own life. In my mind I didn't realise what she was saying until she actually died and I realised she was going.' He described Miss Peake as a 'fantastic teacher' with a loving family. Miss Peake's friend, Laura Rhodes, told the court that her friend hadn't alerted doctors to the severity of her depression because she feared they would take her baby away from her. She added: 'She felt that she was unable to go back to work full-time because she felt as though she couldn't cope and felt like she'd failed.' The court heard how Miss Peake had been given anti-depressants on and off since 2004. Movie love split: Officer Candidate Sid Worley with girlfriend Lynette Pomeroy who rejects him . She stopped taking medication while . pregnant but started taking it again in December. Two days before her . death her dosage was increased after she visited her GP in a tearful and . distressed state. Following her death, a note was found . her in pocket in which she said she was having 'dreadful thoughts'. Recording a verdict of suicide, Coroner Dr James Adeley said: 'The . evidence paints a picture of a young woman clearly very troubled. 'She was a loving parent with a newborn baby to whom she was quite clearly devoted. 'What Claire did on this day, she had . the intention to take her own life. I am very conscious of the fact that . Georgia has no mother and that is a tragedy.' Famous film: Richard Gere and David Keith, right, who plays Sid in An Officer and a Gentleman. Sid hangs himself in a motel shower cubicle after being rejected by his girlfriend .
Tragic: Claire Peake, 39, was found hanged in her garage by her boyfriend, an inquest in Preston partner Stuart Withnall on the evening they had been due to share a  Valentine's Day meal. An birth to her daughter Georgia in September last they would take her baby away from her. She Sid in An Officer and a Gentleman. Sid hangs himself in a motel shower cubicle after being