Police force criticised in Richard Haddock death inquest

Devon and Cornwall Police have been criticised at an inquest for failing to remove a shotgun from a well-known farmer who subsequently took his own life.

Former NFU Devon county chairman and leader of the 2000 fuel protests, Richard Haddock, ended his life at his Churston farm shop in Devon in June 2023 – eight months after his lawfully held guns were returned to him.

See also: Former NFU county chairman Richard Haddock found dead

At an inquest in Exeter on Monday (24 November), a coroner said there were “missed opportunities” by the force’s firearms licensing department to assess Mr Haddock’s suitability to have the guns, which could have been kept away from him.

The guns had initially been seized by Devon and Cornwall police in 2020 following previous concerns expressed to officers by a family friend who said that Mr Haddock was depressed, having “good days and bad days”.

But, after repeated requests by Mr Haddock and his wife, the weapons were handed back in November 2022.

Devon Area Coroner Alison Longhorn said the police were “completely ignorant” of the fact that the Environment Agency (EA) was prosecuting Mr Haddock for allowing illegal waste to be stored on his farm – even though that information had been shared by the agency.

The coroner said there was “an absence of robust processes by Devon and Cornwall Police to see the see the warnings and act on them”.

“Whatever the reason, the Firearms Licensing Department (FLD) were not aware of the prosecution,” she said.

“Had the FLD been in possession of all the facts a week before his death, it is likely a review of his case would have taken place and the guns seized.”

She is now writing a Prevention of Future Deaths report to the force because “that risk remains”.

Mr Haddock shot himself in June 2023 just two days after he admitted six charges at Exeter Crown Court of contravening EA permits between 2010 and 2020.

He was waiting to be sentenced and his wife said he feared going to jail.

But the inquest also heard Mr Haddock faced many other stresses including bankruptcy, divorce and a cancer health scare, which may have contributed to his actions.