Latest news with #RuthStoneHoughton
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Market town jeweller, 66, was found hanged next to his wife's dead body after 'rapid deterioration' of his mental health during Covid, inquest hearing is told
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. The family's jewellery business in Petersfield, Hampshire, had been forced to close during the pandemic. Rachel Spearing KC, assistant coroner for Hampshire, told a pre-inquest review hearing that post-mortem examinations found that Mr Stone-Houghton died as a result of suspension, and the cause of death for Mrs Stone-Houghton was a head injury. She said there had been multi-agency homicide and suicide reviews into the deaths. Winchester Coroner's Court heard that concerns were first raised around Mr Stone-Houghton's mental health at Christmas 2021 and 'active steps' were taken in April of the following year. Six weeks before his death in September 2022, the Portsmouth father was discharged after spending a month at an inpatient unit as a result of a 'serious incident'. A lawyer acting for the family told the pre-inquest review there were 'significant problems' with the hospital care given to Mr Stone-Houghton particularly around medication monitoring and whether he was masking paranoid and delusional thoughts from staff. Ms Spearing explained that the couple had been found at their home on September 14 but there was not any evidence of domestic abuse. She said that Mr Stone-Houghton had both inpatient and community care, and he was last seen two days before his death. The coroner said Mr Stone-Houghton felt 'anxieties and challenges during covid' and was 'experiencing suicidal ideation.' 'He received some inpatient care following a serious incident and was provided with some community care. 'In the months prior the family and friends had continued to express concerns about the care provided to (the Stone-Houghtons)'. She said there had been a 'sudden, rapid and critical deterioration' of Mr Stone-Houghton's mental health, but there was no evidence of domestic abuse. The full inquest - which will take place in December - will also look at the monitoring of Mr Stone-Houghton's gun licence, although a firearm was not used in the incident. In a previous tribute on a fundraising page the couple's son, Oliver, said he was 'inexplicably devastated' by the loss of his parents. In the message he explained that the jewellery business his father had worked at for 50 years and run for around 20 years had closed following the pandemic. Oliver Stone-Houghton said: 'It's hard to put into words how much I miss you both. 'I'm inexplicably devastated beyond belief.' In an online fundraising page posted last year the grieving son told how his father had no prior history of mental ill health when he was diagnosed with 'psychotic depression' in June 2022. He said this followed a 'period of rapidly declining mental health in the lead up to and the closure of a business he had been a part of for over 50 years.' Mr Stone-Houghton said that in the previous months, the coronavirus pandemic had 'removed many of the social ties Dad relied upon to relax and de-stress' and 'brought about incredibly stressful rule changes for the business and also impacted another business my parents ran together.' He went on to say that his mother was 'killed' and his father 'ended his own life' during 'another psychotic episode' - just a day after the couple had enjoyed a day out with friends.
BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Inquest reveals couple's cause of death at Portsmouth home
A woman was found dead from head injuries near her husband's body when police were called to their home, a coroner has Stone-Houghton, 66, and Ruth Stone-Houghton, 60, were found by officers at the address in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in September Stone-Houghton, who was found hanged, had suffered a "sudden, rapid and critical deterioration in his mental health" in the months before the deaths, a pre-inquest hearing was previously said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths. Officers found Mrs Stone-Houghton in the master bedroom of the property in Holcot Lane on 14 September, the hearing was coroner Rachel Spearing said the husband's deteriorating mental health first became apparent around Christmas in said he suffered from depression, suicidal ideation and at times paranoia, contributed to by the impact of the Covid Spearing said: "Chris was under the care of the community mental health team."The last contact with them was two days before his death. He lacked insight into his condition."The inquest heard that Mr Stone-Houghton held a firearms licence, which was being reviewed by said: "There is concern at how Craneswater Group Practice [the Stone-Houghtons' GP surgery] responded to three requests properly made by the police."No firearm was involved in the deaths, the hearing was a previous statement, the recently-retired couple's family said: "Not only were Chris and Ruth amazing parents to their two children - anyone who knew Chris and Ruth will know how hard they worked in so many parts of their lives and they were both known for their positivity and loveable sense of humour."The hearing in Winchester was attended by some of the couple's family and friends as well as by representatives of two NHS trusts.A full inquest will be heard in due course. If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, support is available from organisations listed by BBC Action Line. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
