A historic market town jeweller was found hanged near to his wife's dead body at their home after his mental health declined following the 'anxieties and challenges' of the covid pandemic, a coroner was told today.
The bodies of Christopher Stone-Houghton and his wife, Ruth, 60, were discovered following concerns over their welfare, a court heard.
A pre-inquest hearing was told Mrs Stone-Houghton had suffered fatal head injury, while paramedics tried unsuccessfully to revive her husband.
At the time police said they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the deaths.
Mr Stone-Houghton, 66, had suffered a 'sudden, rapid and critical deterioration' in his mental health shortly before the incident, a coroner said.
