Man suffered “psychotic episode” before killing wife then himself as claw hammer found by body, coroner rules
A jeweller suffered a “psychotic episode” after not taking his medication before killing his wife then himself, a coroner has ruled.
The bodies of Christopher Stone-Houghton, 66, and Ruth Stone-Houghton, 60, were found at their home in Holcot Lane, in Anchorage Park, Portsmouth, on September 14, 2022.
Post-mortem examinations found Mr Stone-Houghton died as a result of suspension, and the cause of death of Mrs Stone-Houghton, who was found with a claw hammer next to her body, was a head injury.
Portsmouth Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Stone-Houghton had suffered a rapid deterioration in his mental health in April 2022, after he had been forced to close down his jewellery business after it had struggled through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coroner Rachel Spearing said that family and friends became increasingly concerned for him in April and May of that year, because of his “anxious and manic” behaviour, and he was then sectioned in June 2022 after he “violently” self-harmed.
She said that she found his discharge in August was “unsafe due to an inadequate risk assessment concerning the care plan” put in place, but said she did not find this to be “causative or contributory” to the deaths.
Ms Spearing said that in the weeks before the couple’s deaths, Mr Stone-Houghton had shown signs of improvements and “no physical manifestations of anxiety”.
She said: “All indicators were that he was making a positive recovery, complying via a routine with medications, denying any suicidal thoughts with hope, positive interactions with friends and future planning.
“There was never any expressed indication or history of genuine concern for his harming Ruth.”
But the coroner said that toxicology tests carried out as part of the post-mortem examination showed that he had not been taking his medication.
She said: “I accept the evidence of all three consultant psychiatrists that on the balance of probabilities is it likely that Chris experienced a further psychotic episode earlier that morning resulting in his actions towards Ruth which ended her life.”
Recording a narrative verdict stating that Mrs Stone-Houghton died from head injuries caused by her husband while he suffered a “psychotic episode”, she added: “There was no history or any indication of any risk of violence during their loving and happy 32-year relationship.”
Describing the couple, she added: “Ruth and Christopher Stone-Houghton were described as ‘a fun, loving couple who did everything together and adored their children, whom they were very close to’.
“‘Both were loyal friends who were always helping others, and the events of last September were described as ‘a complete shock to us all’.”
The inquest also heard that Mr Stone-Houghton held a gun licence for three rifles and a pistol, which he used at a gun club, but he had handed this over to a registered firearms dealer in June 2022.
The coroner said that the police had contacted his GP after a concern was raised about his ownership of firearms, but the doctor had not replied because Mr Stone-Houghton had told his doctor that he no longer had need of the licence.
Ms Spearing said she found it “concerning” that there was no mandatory requirement for a GP to notify police of their concerns but added it had not contributed to the two deaths.
In a separate inquest into Mr Stone-Houghton’s death, Ms Spearing recorded a narrative conclusion that he had “ended his life” while suffering a “psychotic episode”.
In a statement released after the inquest, the couple’s children, Oliver, 30, and Abbie, 28, said: “Our parents’ inquest heard evidence of clear failings, a number of which were recognised by the coroner.
“In light of the coroner’s findings that Dad had stopped taking his medication at the time of their deaths, and the evidence that steps were available to monitor medication compliance, it is clear that more could and should have been done to manage the risk of Dad becoming unwell again.
“They should be with us here today, enjoying their first granddaughter and looking forward to the birth of another grandchild in the new year.
“We welcome the changes now in place for those using the services of Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Trust.
“However, it is deeply troubling that these changes came only as a result of the deaths of our parents, and too late to save them. Their deaths should not have been the catalyst for action.
“We say this directly to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting: this inquest has exposed serious failings in the provision of mental health services.
“The lack of care our Mum and Dad received was not an isolated or local incident, and the lessons from this must be addressed nationally. We eagerly await the coroner’s rulings on Prevention of Future Deaths reports.”