THE ex-partner of a man who shot himself in the head had earlier thought he might shoot her, an inquest was told.

York Coroner Donald Coverdale recorded a verdict that Colin Paul Coop, 61, of Calf Close, Haxby, who died in February, killed himself.

The coroner said he had to take into account the fact that Mr Coop had been drinking, but he was an experienced drinker. What he had done had taken some planning and the coroner was not convinced it was an impulsive act. The inquest heard that Mr Coop had been an HGV driver, but had resigned from his job in December after he was caught drink driving, and following this he had been drinking even more heavily.

His ex-partner, Sonia Pratt, said in a statement that he had returned home after drinking and then left the house carrying a shotgun which he owned. “I thought he might shoot me,” she said, adding that she could ‘smell the booze’ on him. Mr Coop’s body was found in his car, which was parked in a driveway near his home.