Man left note on partner's body before taking his own life in 'murder-suicide', inquest hears

Richard Leishman, 64, was found dead along with his partner Helen Barlow, 54, at their house in North Shields, North Tyneside, on 8 August. Credit: NCJ Media

A man left a note next to his partner's body saying he had "topped" her before taking his own life, a coroner's court heard.

Richard Leishman, 64, was found dead along with his partner Helen Barlow, 54, at their house in North Shields, North Tyneside, on 8 August last year.

Following their deaths, police said they were treating the case as a suspected "murder-suicide".

An inquest into Mr Leishman's death heard how two derogatory notes on A4 pieces of paper were discovered by police next to Ms Barlow's body.

In one of the notes, written by Mr Leishman, he admitted he had "topped" her.

Newcastle Coroner's Court heard how messages were also left in an A4 diary and on a postage note. The message on the postage note said: "I knew my life would have a bad end RTL".

The hearing in Newcastle heard how Ms Barlow's colleague at Jewson on the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate, where she had worked for 30 years, rang the police as she hadn't arrived for work, which was out of character.

Officers attended their property on The Quadrant and forced entry when they received no answer. They discovered Ms Barlow lying on the first-floor landing and Mr Leishman in the master bedroom. They were both deceased.

Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr, of Northumbria Police, told the coroner's court on Friday 11 August how he had been called to the property as the Senior Investigating Officer.

He said Ms Barlow and Mr Leishman had been at the end of their relationship and she had confided in colleagues.

DCI Barr said a handwriting expert analysed the notes at the scene and the likelihood that they were produced by Mr Leishman, rather than some other person, was "extremely strong". He said he was satisfied that there was no other third-party involvement.

The inquest heard how forensic pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper had carried out a post-mortem examination and given Mr Leishman's medical cause of death as strangulation.

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