Wolverhampton 'murder suicide' inquest: Linda Ordinans 'killed' by husband Nigel amid £50k legal bill fears
A husband bludgeoned and strangled his wife before killing himself over fears he was going to lose £50,000 in a legal battle with former employers, an inquest heard.
Nigel Ordinans 'killed' his wife at the family home in Mill Green, Fordhouses, before driving near to Dover, around 180 miles away, where it was found he committed suicide in his car.
An inquest at Black Country Coroner's Court heard Mr Ordinans feared he owed the cash after a legal dispute with former employers Marston's.
He tried to take action against them over hearing loss but grew worried about the financial implications, the inquest was told.
Follow updates from today's inquest as it happened
But police investigators spoke to his solicitors and those of Marston's and they confirmed he was not.
He also wrote in his suicide note that he was being blackmailed by an IT repair man over contents of the search history in his iPad.
Officers spoke to the repair man in question and found there was no such blackmail.
Detective Sergeant Ian Wilkins, giving evidence to the inquest, said: "It appears he was under significant stress. But our investigations found he didn't owe the money."
On December 8 Mr Ordinans phoned Kent Police to say he had killed his wife.
The force contacted West Midlands Police who went to the address and forced entry, the inquest heard.
Mrs Ordinans was found lying dead in the kitchen, covered in towels and with two bunches of flowers placed on top of her.
A suicide note written by Mr Ordinans said that he killed her on the Sunday, and they had agreed a suicide pact, as well as indicating his financial worries.
Mr Ordinans was later found on December 8 dead in his car. He had been decapitated.
Pathologist Nick Hunt carried out the post mortem on Mrs Ordinans. She had sustained multiple wounds to the head.
He gave her cause of death as head injuries and ligature strangulation.
Senior Coroner Zafar Siddique said: "Mr Ordinans had a number of stresses in his life including a court case against his former employers.
"He also believed details on his iPad had been compromised and that he was being blackmailed.
"There was no evidence to suggest that was the case although he firmly believed this was happening.
"There is no evidence of any previous domestic violence in his relationship with his wife."
He delivered a conclusion that Mrs Ordinans was unlawfully killed and Mr Ordinans committed suicide.
