An inquest has heard how a man shot his wife and their dog before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide at their home in the UK
A heart-wrenching inquest heard how a daughter discovered her parents shot dead in their family home, along with a poignant diary entry penned by her mother.
Stephen Jefferies, 74, fatally shot his wife Christine, 72, at close range before turning the gun on himself in their family residence. Their cherished pet dog was also killed in the tragic incident.
Just two days prior to the horrific discovery, Christine, a mother of two, had written in her diary: “Hubby not quite right this evening.” In the days leading up to their deaths, the couple had been writing diary entries, which were later found by their daughter.
These entries suggested that Christine had sensed her husband was struggling. Their daughter, Martine, told the inquest: “I don’t think my mother was involved in any of this. I found a cake she had made. She was going to write Christmas cards with a neighbour.”
The inquest heard that upon entering the house, Martine found jars placed behind the front door. As she ascended the stairs, she discovered their pet dog May lying lifeless in the bedroom doorway.
Martine recounted: “I made my way upstairs. I thought how tidy everything was and that’s when I saw the dog laying there.
“The dog is normally all over me when I walked into the house. I saw my mam and thought she looked quite grey. I thought: ‘She is not well again’.
“My next thought was: ‘Where is my dad then?’ I don’t even know if I did see him. I just knew. I think it was more when I looked at the dog again and I saw the blood.
“It sounds strange but I dreamt it. It’s really odd. Maybe it was on my mind.
“I knew there was nothing I could do. I knew my mother wasn’t with us anymore. I was quite calm. I can’t believe how calm I was. There was no hysteria or screams.”
WalesOnline reports that the inquest was told that Martine rushed to a neighbour’s house in Trowbridge, Cardiff, declaring: “You need to phone the police now.”
Martine believes her father deliberately positioned their beloved dog May, who was treated like a “spoilt child,” in the doorway as a warning to anyone who might enter.
She explained: “The dog was by the bedroom door. I think my father placed the dog there purposely so we would have to step over the dog. My father was a very caring man in that way.”
The court heard that the shocking discovery occurred at approximately 2.50pm on October 5 last year, prompting armed officers to descend on the property where they recovered a rifle fitted with a sound moderator.
Martine revealed her father had been a gun owner for over 10 years, initially purchasing five firearms for weekend clay pigeon and pheasant shooting expeditions.
However, she suspected he had disposed of his entire collection after her mother mentioned he had stopped shooting and no longer required the weapons.
The inquest was told that Mrs Jefferies endured chronic pain from multiple health conditions, while Mr Jefferies had received treatment for depression from 2012 to 2017 – though his daughter characterised him as being “fit as a fiddle.”
In the months before their deaths, Mr Jefferies had discussed altering his will to include his son Gethin and daughter alongside his grandchildren.
The hearing revealed that Mr Jefferies had stepped down from work three years ahead of schedule after being required to travel more extensively for rugby assessments, experiencing “relief” when he could finally stop working.
His daughter Martine believed her parents had cleared their mortgage until they requested to borrow £3,000 from her prior to their deaths.
She subsequently uncovered that they owed up to £35,000 in total debt, encompassing an outstanding mortgage and credit card balances.
Martine explained: “They owed about £35,000 including the mortgage which is really strange because we were brought up to never have a loan, never have a credit card. They told us: ‘If you want something you save up for it’.”
The inquest was informed that Mr Jefferies had found it difficult to cope following the loss of his mother and sister, whilst also having previously endured workplace bullying and his daughter’s battle with leukaemia.
Martine observed that her father appeared “extremely quiet” during the week preceding the incident when she called on her parents to suggest a trip to a garden centre.
Martine reflected: “I think it was not just the debt. I don’t know. I think something must have triggered him that week. That’s all I can say.”
The hearing was informed that Mr Jefferies was a “very caring” individual, and his wife had been battling chronic pain.
Armed police descended on the property to find the couple shot in their heads in bed, with their cherished dog May also shot and lying on the floor.
The inquest revealed that Mr Jefferies had written in his diary in “larger” and “more erratic” handwriting than usual on October 2, stating: “Strange head today.”
He made another entry the next day, writing: “Started to sort rifle. Can’t sell it.”
The inquest learned that Mrs Jefferies had observed a change in her husband’s behaviour in the days leading up to her tragic death at their family home.
She noted: “Hubby not quite right this evening” on October 3, followed by: “Hubby didn’t have a good night. I did paperwork” on October 4.
Their son, Gethin Jefferies, mentioned that he hadn’t seen his parents in person for six months, but his mother had texted him on October 2 to check on him, and they planned to meet a few days later.
However, he never saw his parents again after receiving no response to his text message to his mother asking: “Is everything okay?”.
Detective Chief Inspector Lianne Rees of South Police suggested: “The diaries suggest there may have been an issue with Mr Jefferies’ mental health potentially.”
The inquest was told that Mrs Jefferies was found dead in bed with a gunshot wound to the head, with no signs of a struggle.
A post-mortem examination conducted by Dr Stephen Leadbeatter determined the medical cause of death as “gunshot wound to the right temple” for both Mr and Mrs Jefferies.
Neither had consumed alcohol, though toxicology tests revealed prescription medication in Mrs Jefferies’ bloodstream.
At the Pontypridd inquest, Coroner Patricia Morgan delivered verdicts of unlawful killing and suicide for Mr and Mrs Jefferies respectively.
She stated: “It is likely that Mrs Jefferies was shot by her husband before he went on to shoot the family dog and then himself.
“There is no evidence Mrs Jefferies intended to end her life.”
The coroner further noted: “Mr Jefferies was acting slightly out of character in the leading to his passing and his diary entries support there was likely deterioration in his mental health.”
#Daughters #devastating #discovery #parents #dog #shot #dead #home
