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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The completed inquest found that Thomas Kingston died from a traumatic wound to the head and concluded that he took his own life using a shotgun. Senior Coroner Katy Skerrett said his intent remained unclear because he was experiencing adverse effects from recently prescribed medication. The coroner did not find that a particular medicine caused his death.
What the completed inquest concluded
Gloucestershire Senior Coroner Katy Skerrett recorded the medical cause of death as “1A Traumatic wound to head.” In the narrative conclusion, she said Kingston took his own life using a shotgun, causing a severe traumatic wound to the head. Police reported no suspicious circumstances. The coroner’s report contains the formal findings.
Skerrett also wrote that “Intent remains unclear as the deceased was suffering from adverse effects of medications he had recently been prescribed.” This is a separate part of the conclusion: the report identifies adverse effects and uncertainty about intent, but does not name a drug as the established cause of death.
Why the initial report used “traumatic head wound”
The phrase in the headline reflects the medical cause reported when the inquest opened on 1 March 2024. That was the initial public account, not the completed conclusion. The investigation began on 26 February; the inquest concluded with a narrative conclusion on 3 December 2024. The final report therefore adds the coroner’s account of how Kingston died and her qualification that intent remained unclear. The Judiciary’s report was dated 7 January 2025 and published on 9 January 2025.
What the coroner said about medication
The formal finding was cautious: Kingston was experiencing adverse effects from recently prescribed medication, and his intent remained unclear. It did not establish that a named medicine caused his death or that the medication effects determined his intent.
Reporting on the December hearing discussed sertraline, citalopram and zopiclone. Lady Gabriella Kingston said she believed medication may have provoked his death. Those details and her view should be distinguished from the coroner’s formal conclusion. BBC reporting on the inquest covered the hearing and her statement.
The coroner’s wider concerns about SSRI guidance
In a separate Prevention of Future Deaths report, Skerrett raised questions about whether suicide risks associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are communicated adequately. She also questioned guidance to persist with an SSRI or switch to another when a patient has had no benefit and/or is experiencing adverse effects. The report was sent to NICE, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and the Royal College of General Practitioners. The report sets out those concerns; they are not a finding that an SSRI caused Kingston’s death.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the day he died
Kingston was 45 and visiting his parents in Kemble, Gloucestershire, on 25 February 2024. The coroner’s report says he had recently been experiencing anxiety but had not expressed suicidal ideation. After lunch, he unloaded his car and prepared to return to London. Between approximately 5 and 6 p.m., he took a shotgun he had borrowed from his father for a shoot into an annex. His father later found him, and police pronounced him dead at 6:54 p.m. The coroner’s report provides the account of the day.
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