Husband killed wife then himself in South Yorkshire home

Police officers prepare to search a property on Beech Close Brierley in Barnsley where 2 bodies were discovered earlier today
Picture Dean Atkins — Police officers prepare to search a property on Beech Close Brierley in Barnsley where 2 bodies were discovered earlier today Picture Dean Atkins

Raymond Massey and wife Christine Tunnicliffe Massey were found dead at their home in Beech Close, Brierley, around noon on November 7, 2015.

Sheffield Coroner’s Court heard on Friday that Mr Massey, aged 67, killed his 57-year-old wife in the couple’s bedroom before turning the knife on himself.

Police outside a property on Beech Close Brierley in Barnsley where 2 bodies were discovered earlier today
Picture Dean Atkins — Police outside a property on Beech Close Brierley in Barnsley where 2 bodies were discovered earlier today Picture Dean Atkins

The inquest heard he had quickly descended into paranoia and anxiety amid unfounded fears that an investment had gone wrong.

Sheffield Coroner Chris Dorries said: “There are no nice words I can say in this situation... Anxiety overtakes people.”

The inquest heard Mr Massey had invested money in a flat in Bradford, which he had been due to sell.

Two months prior to the tragedy, Mr Massey learned that his financial advisor had been arrested for fraud and he began to suffer ‘very high levels of anxiety’ as a result, the court heard.

Mr Dorries said: “He thought that they were going to lose everything.”

He added: “In reality it was a decent investment which was just about to pay off.”

The inquest heard Mr Massey was prescribed anti-depressants one week before the incident.

The court heard the couple had been happily married for 21-years, up until two months prior to the tragedy.

During Mr Massey’s downturn, the court heard he lost weight, was not sleeping and appeared confused.

Around 11.30am on November 7, Mrs Tunnicliffe Massey’s daughter, Alison, became concerned after calling her mother but getting no response. She called her partner at the time, who attended the couple’s house and kicked the door down.

After seeing ‘blood everywhere’ and Mr Massey lying dead on the floor clutching a knife, emergency services were called. The couple were confirmed dead at the scene.

A postmortem confirmed Mrs Tunnicliffe Massey’s death was caused by a combination of a wound to the neck, a fractured spine and manual strangulation.

Mr Massey died due to an incision in his neck and stab wounds to his chest.

Mr Dorries concluded Mrs Tunnicliffe Massey was unlawfully killed and Mr Massey took his own life.