A gypsy predicted the death of an experienced Falmouth motorcyclist in shocking accurate detail, an inquest in Truro heard this morning.

The startling evidence came at an inquest into the death of 44-year-old Shane Webb, who was killed in a road traffic collision at Lower Treluswell near Penryn on December 5 last year.

Before his death, a gypsy had told Mr Webb that he would die while riding a red motorcycle. For this reason, the motorbike enthusiast had always avoided riding red bikes. However, when the opportunity arose to purchase his dream bike, a red and black Suzuki GSX 1,300 RX Hyabusa - said to be the fastest production bike made - he was unable to resist.

Intriguingly, Mr Webb - a laminator from Dracaena Avenue - had also predicted his own death, telling his partner and the mother of three of his children, Joanna Mellows: "It will kill me."

An emotional Ms Mellows told the inquest: "From day one, Shane had always had motorbikes. They were his passion. He never gelled with cars like he did with bikes. In October 2006 I gave Shane £3,500 to purchase his dream bike. He always said it was fast, if not too fast."

She added that Mr Webb had told her shortly before his death that he intended to sell the bike, believing it would kill him.

Ms Mellows said that her life, and that of their family - the couple had five children, two of which were from Ms Mellows' previous marriage - had been "turned upside down" following his death.

"I find it impossible to put into words how our children have to grow up without their dad. My own life feels like it's been put through a paper shredder and left in little bits," she concluded.

The inquest heard that Mr Webb had suffered from anxiety and depression ever since the death of his brother in Barnsley, Yorkshire. His brother had been assaulted, causing him to fall into a coma, and Mr Webb had been there when the life support machine was turned off.

The case was treated as murder and his sister, Angelina Freeman, said that since then Mr Webb had "a lot of anger in him."

He had attempted to commit suicide on two occasions - once in May 2006 when he overdosed on 200 painkillers and antidepressants and again in November that year, when he slashed his wrists.

"He suffered from mood swings and had a lot of anger. He said he was going to go to the docks and jump off the viewing wall. He was upbeat one minute and the next was down and angry," explained Mrs Freeman.

However, she said that in the week before he died, her brother had made dramatic improvements and she did not believe his death was another suicide attempt, describing him as "having everything to live for."

On the morning of his death, Mr Webb had been on his way to an anger management class in Truro. It was at 10.40am when his motorcycle strayed into the oncoming path of a red Renault Clio being driven by Thomas Byrne, a care support worker with Spectrum who was on his way to the charity's Penryn headquarters.

Mr Byrne was travelling on the single carriageway of the three-lane stretch of road at Lower Treluswell when he saw the motorcycle coming towards him travelling "extremely fast" and its rider appearing to lose control.

He barely had time to react before the motorcycle crossed the double white lines and into his path, although he steered towards the verge in an attempt to avoid a collision.

Witness Susan Pryor said she saw the accident unfold in her rear view mirror, recalling that "the speed and the position of the bike was all wrong for it to get round the bend," while Sheila Clemo saw Mr Webb shortly before the collision took place.

She was waiting in queue of traffic when Mr Webb rode past her and she remembered thinking: "I hope no one is crossing the road or you are going to kill yourself or someone."

Dr Hugh Jones, consultant pathologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, put the cause of death as being "multiple injuries consistent with a road traffic collision", the most significant being a fracture to the base of the skull, a ruptured liver and spleen, multiple bone injuries and a fractured pelvis.

The reason for the collision was unknown, although MPC Marcus Rowe from Bodmin traffic unit suggested that the motorcycle failed to stay on the correct side of the road due to driver error, through excessive speed or lack of planning and/or a sudden gust of wind. The road was dry and the conditions were bright.

Deputy coroner Andrew Cox described Mr Webb's death as "tragic," before recording a verdict of accidental death.