Farmer took his own life after guns handed back

HIGH-PROFILE Devon farmer Richard Haddock shot himself eight months after his legally held firearms were returned to him by police, an inquest has heard.

- NICK IRVING & PAUL GREAVES

Devon farmer Richard Haddock was well known champion of farmers' rights

(SWNS)

Mr Haddock, 66, killed himself at his Churston farm shop near Brixham in June 2023.

Mr Haddock was one of the South West's best-known farmers and a champion of farmers’ rights.

He often wrote for the Western Daily Press and was a leading South West member of the National Farmers’ Union and over the years was the face of many protests against fuel costs and meat import bans.

At Exeter Coroner’s Court police said Mr Haddock’s guns were removed in November 2021 because there were concerns about his mood and because of a series of highly stressful issues in his life.

But Devon Area coroner Alison Longhorn was told that Mr Haddock and his wife asked the police to return the guns which, after a delay, did happen.

The inquest was told the weapons were handed back but police were unaware Mr Haddock was being prosecuted by the Environment Agency over a long-running investigation.

Police Inspector Mitch Wallace, a firearms licensing manager, said their department was never sent or never filed the information about the criminal proceedings.

She said: “If we had been made aware it may have impacted the decision to return the guns.”